THREE   YEARS 


IN    THE 


SIXTH    COEPS, 


A    CONCISE    NARRATIVE    OF    EVENTS    IN    THE    ARMY    OF    THE    POTOMAC, 
FROM  1861  TO  THE  CLOSE  OF  THE    REBELLION,  APRIL,   1865. 


By    GKEORGKE    T. 

SURGEON  OF  THE   77TH   REGIMENT  NEW  YORK  VOLUNTEERS. 


ALBANY : 

S.     R.     G-RA.Y,     I? TIB  I 

1866. 


Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  sixty-six, 
BY    GEORGE     T.    STEVENS, 

in  the  Clerk's  office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Northern 
.  District  of  >Tev  York 


WEED,  PARSONS  AND  COMPANY, 

PRINTERS,   STEREOTYPERS  AND   BOOKBINDERS, 
ALBANY,    N.   Y. 


PKEFACE. 


THE  following  pages  are  offered  to  my  old  comrades  of 
the  Sixth  Corps,  with  the  hope  that  they  may  pleasantly 
recall  the  many  varied  experiences  of  that  unparalleled 
body  of  men.  If  much  has  been  omitted  which  should 
have  been  written,  or  if  anything  has  been  said  which 
should  have  been  left  out,  I  rely  upon  the  generosity  of 
brave  men  to  treat  with  leniency  the  failings  they  may 
detect. 

I  have  endeavored  to  present  without  exaggeration  or 
embellishment  of  imagination,  a  truthful  picture  of  army 
life  in  all  its  vicissitudes ;  its  marches,  its  battles,  its  camps, 
and  the  sad  scenes  when  the  victims  of  war  languish  in 
hospitals.  The  story  is  written  mostly  from  extensive 
notes  taken  by  myself  amid  the  scenes  described  ;  but  offi 
cial  reports  and  letters  from  officers  have  been  used  freely 
in  correcting  these  notes,  and  gathering  fresh  material. 
The  narrative  commences  with  the  experiences  of  my  own 
regiment ;  then  when  that  regiment  became  a  part  of 
Smith's  division,  its  incidents  and  history  includes  the 
whole.  From  the  organization  of  the  Sixth  Corps  to 
the  close  of  the  rebellion,  I  have  endeavored  without  par 
tiality  to  give  the  story  of  the  Corps.  If  I  have  failed  to  do 
justice  to  any  of  the  noble  troops  of  the  Corps,  it  has  been 
from  no  want  of  desire  to  give  to  each  regiment  the  praise 
due  to  it. 


iv  PREFACE. 

I  cannot  close  without  acknowledging  my  many  obli 
gations  to  the  numerous  friends,  officers  and  soldiers  of 
the  Corps,  and  others  who  have  favored  me  with  their 
assistance.  I  take  especial  pleasure  in  acknowledging  the 
kindness  of  Miss  Emily  Sedgwick,  sister  of  our  lamented 
commander;  Vermont's  honored  son,  Major-General  L.  A. 
Grant,  Major-General  Thomas  H.  Neill,  Colonel  James  B. 
McKean,  Colonel  W.  B.  French,  Chaplain  Norman  Fox, 
and  Mr.  Henry  M.  Myers.  I  am  also  indebted  to  the  friends 
of  Samuel  S.  Craig  for  the  use  of  his  diary,  extending  from 
the  early  history  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  to  the  death 
of  the  talented  young  soldier  in  the  Wilderness. 

The  engravings  are  nearly  all  from  sketches  taken  by 
myself  on  the  ground,  the  others  are  from  the  pencil  of  the 
well  known  artist,  Captain  J.  Hope,  and  all  have  been  sub 
mitted  to  his  finishing  touch.  Mr.  Ferguson  has  executed 
the  wood  cuts  in  a  style  creditable  to  his  art. 

The  typographical  portion  of  the  work  has  been  done  in  a 
style  of  beauty  and  finish  for  which  the  work  of  Weed, 
Parsons  and  Company  is  so  well  known. 

18  North  Pearl  Street,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

September  5,  1866. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


1.  PORTRAIT  OF  GENERAL  SEDGWICK, 

2.  ILLUSTRATED  TITLE  PAGE, 

3.  THE  OLD  CHURCH  AT  HAMPTON, 27 

4.  THE  QUAKER  AT  NEWPORT  NEWS, 31 

5.  CHARGE  OF  THE  VERMONTERS  AT  LEE'S  MILLS, 40 

6.  CHARGE  OF  HANCOCK'S  BRIGADE  AT  WILLIAMSBURGH, 54 

7.  CHARGE  OF  THE  SEVENTY-SEVENTH  NEW  YORK  AT  MECHAN- 

ICSVILLE, 64 

8.  PORTRAIT  OF  COLONEL  JAMES  B.  MCKEAN, 118 

9.  CHARGE  OF  THE  SIXTH  CORPS  AT  BURKETTSVILLE, 136 

10.  WHITE  OAK  CHURCH,  VA., . 174 

11.  STORMING  FREDERICKSBURGH  HEIGHTS  BY  HOWE'S  DIVISION,  196 

12.  "WHAT'LL  OLE  Missus  DO  Now?" 275 

13.  CHURCH  CALL, 301 

14.  BATTLE  OF  FORT  STEVENS, 376 

15.  "WHY  DON'T  HE  COME?" 404 

16.  "GOING  NORF," 412 

17.  DIAGRAM  OF  THE  CHARGE  OF  THE  SIXTH  CORPS,  APRIL  2, 1865,  433 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

A  NEW  REGIMENT  GOES  TO  THE  WAR, „ _ 1-7 

Organization  of  the  Seventy-seventh  N.  Y.  V.  — Departure  from  Sara 
toga—Greetings  by  the  way— New  emotions  — The  noble  dead  — On 
board  the  Knickerbocker— At  New  York— Presentation  of  flags  — 
Beauties  of  monopoly— Hospitality  of  Philadelphia  —  Incidents  on 
the  route— Arrival  at  Washington— In  camp. 

ARMY  LIFE  AT  WASHINGTON, 8-17 

Meridian  Hill— Neighboring  scenery— First  Sunday  in  camp— Drills 
—  Sickness  —  The  Hospital  —  General  Casey— "Why  don't  the  army 
move  ?"  — Washington  blockaded  —  Burnside's  heroes  —  Orders  to 
move— Something  of  a  train— Smith's  division— Our  first  reconnois- 
sance. 

THE  MANASSAS  CAMPAIGN, 18-24 

Orders  to  march— A  grand  spectacle— Bivouac  near  Fairfax  Court 
House  — The  camps  at  night— Visits  to  Manassas  and  Centreville— 
Dissatisfaction  in  the  army— A  deserted  country— Lawless  soldiers  — 
Fairfax  Court  House— A  representative  Southerner— Review  by  Gen. 
McClellan— March  to  Alexandria—"  Camp  Misery." 

THE  ARMY  TRANSFERRED  TO  THE  PENINSULA, 25-32 

Embarking  for  the  Peninsula— Mount  Vernon  — On  the  Potomac  — 
Hampton— In  camp  — Orders  to  march— A  night  visit  to  Fortress 
Monroe— The  advance— A  sifting— A  Quaker  battery— At  Newport 
News  —  Compliments  of  the  Teaser. 

YORKTOWN, 33-49 

The  advance  to  Yorktown  — A  thunder  storm— "Reliable  contra 
bands  "— Facing  the  enemy  — A  strong  position— The  Union  line— A 
rebel  welcome— Digging— On  picket— A  dreary  country— An  enter 
prising  planter— Active  work— Battle  of  Lee's  Mills  — Charge  of  the 
Vermont  brigade— Progress  of  the  siege  —  Ravages  of  disease  — A 
front  seat  — Short  supplies  — The  rebels  withdraw  —  Entering  the 
strongholds  —  Infernal  machines  —  March  to  Williamsburgh  —  Victims 
of  disease. 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

WlLLIAMSBURGH,  50-57 

Battle  of  Williamsburgh  — The  army  not  organized  —  The  medical 
department— Hooker's  gallant  fight— Hancock's  charge— McClellan 
at  Yorktown— Night  on  the  battle-field. 

THE  MARCH  UP  THE  PENINSULA  AND  THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  THE 

SIXTH  CORPS, 58-64 

March  up  the  Peninsula  —  Joy  of  the  contrabands  —  Cumberland 
Landing  — The  Sixth  Corps  organized  — At  White  House  — On  the 
Chickahominy— Fight  at  Mechanicsville— Battle  of  Hanover  Court 
House. 

ON  THE  CHICKAHOMINY, 65-70 

Games'  Farm  — The  line  of  battle  — Battle  of  Seven  Pines  —  Sedgwick 
and  Kearney  to  the  rescue— Hooker's  charge— A  lost  opportunity— 
Golden's  Farm— Ditching— Malaria— Chickahominy  fevers  — A  Ger 
man  regiment—  Stuart's  raid. 

THE  SEVEN  DAYS'  BATTLES, 77-98 

The  army  united— Plans  and  counter  plans  — Battle  of  Fair  Oaks  — 
Lee's  plan— The  situation— Stonewall  Jackson  on  the  flank  — Bat 
tle  of  Mechanicsville  — Joy  in  camp  —  Porter's  corps  retreats— An 
astonished  army— Battle  of  Games'  Farm— Slocum's  division  at 
Games'  Farm— Retreat  to  the  river  — Battle  of  Golden's  Farm  — A 
young  hero  —  A  Union  victory  —  Our  right  exposed  —  The  sick  aban 
doned—A  night  of  sorrow  — The  grand  retreat  commenced  —  Sad 
scenes  at  Savage's  Station  — A  meteor  railroad  train. 

THE  GRAND  RETREAT, 99-110 

Lee's  army  in  pursuit—  Sumner  and  Smith  at  bay — Battle  of  Savage's 
Station  — The  Vermont  brigade  — Sick  and  wounded  abandoned  — 
Retreat  to  White  Oak  Swamp  — Battle  of  White  Oak  Swamp  — An 
astonished  division  — A  night  march  — A  mystery  — In  sight  of  the 
James  — Battle  of  Malvern  Hill  —  Departure  of  the  princes  — Gloom 
and  anxiety— Lee's  attack— The  rebels  demoralized. 

HARRISON'S  LANDING, 111-119 

March  to  Harrison's  bar  — A  scene  of  confusion  — A  beautiful  land 
scape—Fourth  of  July  in  camp  —  Gloom  at  the  north  — Cause  of  the 
disasters  —  Prevalence  of  disease— Review  by  the  President  — A  night 
demonstration  by  the  enemy— Reconnoissance  to  Malvern  Hill  — 
Departure  of  General  Davidson  — A  retrospect. 

RETREAT  FROM  THE  PENINSULA,  AND  GENERAL  POPE'S  BULL 
RUN  CAMPAIGN, 120-133 

Premonitions  of  a  change  of  base  — The  transfer  commenced— March 
ing  down  the  Peninsula  —  On  board  transports  —  A  contrast  —  Arrival 
at  Alexandria  — Unaccountable  delays  — General  Pope's  campaign  — 
An  obstinate  general  —  Causes  of  Pope's  failure. 


CONTENTS.  IX 

PAGK. 

THE  MARYLAND  CAMPAIGN, 134-141 

General  McClellan  restored  to  command— March  through  Washing 
ton—Leisurely  campaigning— Battle  of  Crampton  Pass  — Death  of 
Mathison  —  Battle  of  South  Mountain  Pass  —  Death  of  Beno  —  Sur 
render  of  Harper's  Ferry— March  to  Antietam. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  ANTIETAM, 142-161 

The  Valley  of  the  Antietam— Gathering  of  the  hosts  — The  battle 
field—The  battle  commenced  — Splendid  fighting  of  Hooker's  forces 

—  Successes  and  reverses  of  Sumner's  troops  —  Timely  arrival  of  the 
Sixth  corps  — A  gallant  charge  — Losses  of  the  corps  —  Burnside's 
attack  —  Hours  of  suspense  —  The  enemy  defeated  at  all  points  —  Re 
treat  of  the  rebels  —  Scenes  on  the  battle-field  — At  the  hospitals  —  At 
Sharpsburgh  —  A  division  of  militia  — Couch's  division  joins  the  Sixth 
corps  — Visit  of  the  President— Recruits  — Energy  at  the  north  — At 
rest  —  Want  of  clothing  —  Stuart's  raid — Delays  —  Clear  Spring — Gen 
eral  Brooks. 

THE  SECOND  ADVANCE  INTO  VIRGINIA,  AND  THE  BATTLE  OF 
FREDERICKSBURGH, 162-173 

Marching  in  Maryland  —  Arrival  at  New  Baltimore  —  General  McClel 
lan  superseded  by  General  Burnside— Thanksgiving  in  camp  — The 
grand  divisions  organized  —  The  march  resumed  —  Fatal  delays  — In 
order  of  battle  — The  crossing  — Fredericksburgh  bombarded  —  Situa 
tion  of  Fredericksburgh  —  Scenes  of  activity— The  Bernard  house  — 
Scenes  at  the  hospital— The  battle  on  the  right— Charges  of  the  Penn 
sylvania  reserves  — The  river  recrossed  —  Reflections. 

THE  WINTER  AT  FALMOUTH, 174-187 

Camp  at  White  Oak  Church— " The  mud  march"  —Return  to  camp- 
General  Neill  —  General  Hooker  supersedes  General  Burnside— Burn- 
side's  magnanimity— General  Hooker  as  a  soldier— Reconstruction  — 
The  cavalry  organized  —  Business  departments  renovated— The  medi 
cal  department  — Ambulance  system  —  Quartermasters'  and  commis 
sary  departments  — Life  in  camp  —  Snowball  battles  — In  the  Seventy- 
seventh  —  The  Light  division  —  Review  by  General  Hooker — General 
John  Sedgwick  — Scene  at  head-quarters  —  Review  of  the  army  by 
the  President  —  Preparing  for  the  campaign. 

THE  CHANCELLORSVILLE  CAMPAIGN, 188-211 

Orders  to  move  — The  river  crossed— Sedgwick's  command  — The 
First  corps  withdrawn  — Gallant  conduct  of  the  Light  division  — Ad 
vancing  to  the  heights  —  The  line  of  battle  —  The  columns  of  attack  — 
Attack  of  Howe's  columns  — Of  Newton's  column  — Of  Burnham's  — 
Misfortune  following  victory  —  Fight  of  Bartlett's  brigade— The  First 
division  at  work  —  A  critical  position  —  The  Sixth  corps  surrounded  — 
Savage  fight  of  Neill's  brigade  —  The  corps  withdraws  to  Banks'  Ford 

—  Recrosses  the  river  —  Hooker's  operations  on  the  right  —  Position 
of  the  corps— Rout  of  the  Eleventh  corps  — The  rebels  repulsed— 
Jackson  renews  the  attack— The  rebels  again  repulsed  — Hooker 
recrosses  the  river. 


X  CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

SECOND  ENCAMPMENT  AT  WHITE  OAK  CHURCH  AND  THE  PENN 
SYLVANIA  CAMPAIGN, 212-233 

The  army  in  its  old  position  —  A  trip  to  Dixie  — The  wounded  at  the 
hospitals — Introduction  of  army  badges — Adornments  of  the  camps  — 
The  "Third  crossing"  — The  Barnard  mansion  —  Exchanging  papers 
—  A  broken  lieutenant— The  Pennsylvania  campaign  commenced  — 
Kestriction  of  baggage  — A  severe  march  — An  army  bathing  — At 
Centreville  — Bristoe  Station  — March  to  Maryland— General  Hooker 
succeeded  by  General  Meade —Position  of  the  army. 

THE  GETTYSBURGH  CAMPAIGN, 23-1-252 

The  rebels  in  Pennsylvania  —  Panic  at  Harrisburgh  —  Alarm  at  Balti 
more  and  Washington— Sixth  corps  leaves  Bristoe  Station— A  sur 
prise—General  Meade  takes  command  — Position  of  the  army  — 
Marching  through  Pennsylvania  —  An  unprecedented  march  — Ex 
citing  news  — Battle  of  Gettysburgh  — Death  of  Reynolds  — First  and 
Eleventh  corps  fall  back  — Second  day's  battle  — The  battle-field  — 
Fighting  at  Bound  Top  — On  the  right  — The  grand  onset  — The  battle 
decided  — Rebel  and  Union  wounded. 

PURSUIT  OF  LEE'S  ARMY, 253-269 

Scenes  of  the  field  of  Gettysburgh  —  The  rebel  hospitals  —  The  sight 
less  rebel  soldier  boy—  The  Sixth  cops  at  Fairfield  —  "  Hurrah  for  the 
Union  "  —  Kilpatrick's  handiwork  —  At  Waynesboro'  —  On  picket —A 
division  of  militia— The  Vermonters  at  Funkstown  — The  army  at 
Funkstown  — Meade's  failure  to  attack  — New  York  riots  — Return  to 
Virginia. 

CAMPS  AT  WARRENTON,  THE  CENTREVILLE  CAMPAIGN  AND  THE 
BATTLE  OF  RAPPAHANNOCK  STATION, : 270-288 

Camp  at  Hart's  Mills— A  ride  to  the  Sulphur  Springs  — Contrabands 
going  north  — The  Vermonters  go  to  New  York  — Jersey  brigade  at 
Warrenton  — The  Sixth  corps  at  Cedar  Mountain  —  Retreat  to  Centre 
ville— Battle  of  Bristoe  Station  —  Advance  to  Warrenton  —  Battle  of 
Rappahannock  Station  —  Flight  of  Lee's  army. 

THE  ARMY  AT  BRANDY  STATION 289-301 

Encampment  at  Brandy  Station  — The  Mine  Run  campaign— Crossing 
the  Rap idan— Battle  of  Locust  Grove  — The  army  on  Mine  Run— The 
order  of  battle  — The  army  withdraws  —  Back  at  Brandy  Station  — 
Reconnoissance  to  Madison  Court  House— Ladies  in  camp  — Chapel 
tents. 

THE  WILDERNESS  CAMPAIGN, 302-321 

Preparing  to  leave  camp— General  Grant  in  command  — The  last 
advance  across  the  Rapidan  —  The  battle-ground— Battle  of  the  Wil 
derness—Noble  fight  of  Getty's  division  —  Hancock's  fight  on  the 
left  — Rickett's  division  driven  back  — The  ground  retaken  — The 
wounded  —  Duties  of  the  surgeons  —  The  noble  dead. 


CONTENTS.  XI 

PAGE. 

SPOTTSYLVANIA, 322-338 

Moving  by  the  flank  —  The  wounded  abandoned  —  The  Fifth  corps  at 
Spottsylvania— Arrival  of  the  Sixth  corps  —  Getting  into  line— Death 
of  Sedgwick  —  General  Wright  in  command  — Battle  of  the  10th  of 
May  — Upton's  splendid  charge  —  Battle  at  "the  angle "  — Another 
flank  movement. 

THE  HOSPITALS  AT  FREDERICKSBTJRGH, 339-346 

The  journey  from  the  battle-field— Sufferings  of  the  wounded— A  sur 
geon's  letters  — Rebel  hatred  —  Assistance  from  the  north  —  A  father 
in  search  of  his  boy  —  The  wounded  sent  to  Washington, 

COAL  HARBOR, 347-360 

At  Hanover  Court  House  — The  Eighteenth  corps  joins  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  — The  armies  meet  at  Coal  Harbor— Battle  of  June  1st  — 
Battle  of  June  3d  — Terrible  exposure  — The  army  strikes  for  Peters- 
burgh—Charles  City  Court  House— A  centenarian  —  Review  of  the 
overland  campaign. 

PETERSBURG!!, 361-368 

The  march  to  Petersburgh  —  Smith's  successes  —  The  battle  of  June 
18th  —  The  Sixth  and  Second  corps  sent  to  the  left  — Rebels  penetrate 
the  line  —  Progress  of  the  siege  —  Sixth  corps  proceeds  to  Reams'  Sta 
tion— Kautz's  and  Wilson's  raids. 

SIXTH  CORPS  TRANSFERRED  TO  WASHINGTON  —  BATTLE  OF  FORT 

STEVENS, 369-379 

The  Shenandoah  Valley— Hunter's  advance  to  Lynchburgh  —  The 
retreat— Rebels  advance  into  Maryland— Battle  of  Monocacy — Sixth 
corps  goes  to  Washington  —  Battle  of  Fort  Stevens. 

THE  SHENANDOAH  VALLEY, 380-394 

The  Sixth  and  Nineteenth  corps  follow  the  enemy  —  Crossing  the 
Potomac  — Averill's  fight  at  Snicker's  Gap  — Return  of  the  Sixth 
corps  to  Washington  —  March  back  to  Harper's  Ferry  —  Return  to 
Maryland  —  Death  of  Major  Ellis  — General  Sheridan  assigned  to  com 
mand—Back  in  the  Valley.— Charlestown  —  John  Mosher  — March 
to  Fisher  Hill  —  Return  to  Charlestown  —  Fight  at  Charlestown. 

BATTLE  OF  WINCHESTER, 395-405 

Encampment  at  Berryville  —  Leaving  camp— The  advance  — Taking 
position— Advance  and  retreat  —  Death  of  Russell  —  "  I  know  they'll 
run  "  —  Reminiscences  —  At  the  hospitals —A  regiment  going  home  — 
"  Why  don't  he  come." 

FISHER  HILL, 406-413 

March  up  the  valley— Strasburgh— The  army  confronting  Fisher 
Hill— The  flank  movement— Flight  of  Early— The  pursuit— Guer 
rilla  warfare  —  Southern  refugees  —  Starting  for  Washington  —  Return 
to  Cedar  creek. 


Xll  CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

BATTLE  OF  CEDAR  CREEK, 414-428 

Position  of  the  Union  forces  on  Cedar  creek  — Demonstrations  by 
Early  — The  morning  of  October  19th  — Eighth  corps  straggling  — 
Nineteenth  corps  routed  — The  Sixth  corps  to  the  rescue— Death  of 
General  Bidwell— The  Sixth  corps  holds  the  enemy— General  Wright 
prepares  for  another  attack  —  Arrival  of  Sheridan  — The  charge  — The 
rout  —  Guns,* wagons  and  prisoners  —  The  victors  in  camp  — the  Sev 
enty-seventh  goes  home. 

THE  FINAL  CAMPAIGN, 429-436 

Sixth  corps  returns  to  Petersburgh  —  Condition  of  the  corps  — Sheri 
dan  joins  the  grand  army  — Capture  of  Fort  Steadman  — The  last 
grand  charge  — The  pursuit  of  Lee's  army  —  Tributes  to  the  Sixth 
corps  —  Disbanding. 


THREE  YEARS  IN  THE  SIXTH  CORPS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  NEW  REGIMENT  GOES  TO  THE  WAR. 

Organization  of  the  Seventy-seventh  N.  Y.  V.  — Departure  from  Saratoga— Greet 
ings  by  the  way  —  New  emotions  —  The  noble  dead  —  On  board  the  Knickerbocker 
—  At  New  York  —  Presentation  of  flags— Beauties  of  monopoly  —  Hospitality 
of  Philadelphia  — Incidents  on  the  route  —  Arrival  at  Washington  -  In  camp. 

OUR  regiment  was  organized  at  Saratoga  Springs,  the 
historic  scene  of  the  battle  of  Bemis  Heights  and  the  sur 
render  of  Burgoyne — hence  its  name,  "The  Bemis  Heights 
Battalion."  Hon.  Jas.  B.  McKean,  then  member  of  con 
gress,  a  gentleman  of  well  known  patriotism,  was  made  our 
Colonel.  We  left  our  rendezvous  on  the  26th  of  Novem 
ber,  1861,  Thanksgiving  day,  having  been  mustered  into 
the  United  States  service  three  days  before. 

As  the  long  train  of  cars  bore  us  from  the  station  at 
Saratoga  Springs,  the  thousands  who  had  gathered  to  wit 
ness  our  departure  united  in  cheer  after  cheer  until  all 
the  groves  and  vales  of  that  charming  resort  rang  with  the 
echoes  of  the  tumultuous  shouting. 

The  thousand  brave  fellows,  who  were  about  to  try  the 
stern  realities  of  war,  were  by  no  means  backward  in 
replying  to  these  hearty  expressions  of  good  wishes. 
Long  after  we  had  lost  sight  of  the  lovely  village,  the 
shouts  of  the  multitude  could  be  heard  and  the  hills  rang 
1 


NEW   EMOTIONS THE    NOBLE    DEAD. 

again  with  the  responding  cheers  of  those  in  the  cars. 
At  each  station,  as  we  passed,  crowds  of  people  pressed 
to  greet  us,  and  loud  and  long  were  the  cheers  that  bade 
us  "  God  speed." 

We  were  now  fairly  off  for  the  war.  We  who  had 
followed  the  various  peaceful  avocations  of  life,  in  the 
professions  or  in  the  workshops,  in  trade  or  in  husbandry, 
had  now  turned  away  from  the  office,  the  desk,  the  shop 
and  the  plough,  to  join  the  Grand  Army  upon  which  the 
hopes  of  the  nation  were  staked,  and  which  we  confidently 
believed  was  soon  to  sweep  the  rebellion  to  destruction. 

Emotions  hitherto  unknown  to  us  filled  our  hearts.  We 
were  soldiers,  wearing  for  the  first  time  the  army  blue,  and 
perhaps  soon  to  be  called  out  to  meet  in  deadly  strife  an 
enemy  whose  prestige  for  valor  was  already  too  well 
established. 

Were  we  to  return  to  the  friends  from  whom  we  had 
just  parted,  bearing  the  chaplet  of  victory,  or  were  we  to 
find  a  last  resting  place  on  some  field  of  the  south,  never 
again  to  meet  with  wife  or  sister,  father  or  mother  ?  Four 
years  have  passed  and  those  doubts  have  been  solved. 
Many  of  those  brave  men  have  gone  to  their  long  rest. 

"  Their  graves  are  severed  far  and  wide." 

Some  sleep  beneath  the  tall  pines  of  Yorktown ;  and  the 
bright  azalia  casts  its  purple  blossoms  over  the  graves  of 
many  who  lie  in  the  swamps  of  the  Chickahominy.  The 
Antietam  murmurs  a  requiem  to  those  who  rest  on  its 
banks,  and  green  is  the  turf  above  the  noble  ones  who  fell 
gloriously  at  Fredericksburgh.  Some  rest  amid  the  wild 
tangles  of  the  Wilderness,  and  upon  the  arid  plain  of  Coal 
Harbor.  Many  of  their  graves  are  upon  the  banks  of  the 
Ny  and  the  Po.  The  marble  monument  at  Fort  Stevens 
tells  the  names  of  some  who  gave  their  lives  in  the  defense 
of  the  Capital,  while  the  simple  headboards  of  pine  tell 


ON   BOAKD   THE   KNICKERBOCKER.  3 

where  repose  many  in  the  valley  of  the  Shenandoah,  and 
before  Petersburgh.  The  remains  of  some  have  been 
brought  back  to  the  peaceful  cemetery  at  home  to  rest 
beside  the  dust  of  loved  ones. 

"  "Tis  little ;  but  it  looks  in  truth 

As  if  the  quiet  bones  were  blest 
Among  familiar  names  to  rest, 
And  in  the  places  of  their  youth." 

Must  it  be  said,  many  of  the  strongest  yielded  to  the 
grim  monster  starvation  in  the  rebel  prison  pens,  and 
found  relief  from  their  tortures  in  lowly  graves  at  Ander- 
sonville  and  Salisbury. 

A  little  band,  with  bronzed  faces  and  manly  hearts, 
returned  home.  Their  glorious  and  unspotted  record  had 
preceded  them.  They  needed  no  song  of  victory,  and 
they  desired  no  greater  marks  of  honor  than  their  simple 
silver  crosses,  the  badge  of  their  corps. 

No  incident  worthy  of  note  occurred  until  we  reached 
Albany,  where  we  left  the  cars  and  embarked  upon  the 
steamer  Knickerbocker,  an  old  dismantled  craft,  unfit  for 
any  purpose  but  the  transportation  of  soldiers ;  whose 
decks  were  covered  with  mud  an  inch  in  depth,  and 
whose  doors  having  been  thrown  overboard,  a  free  circula 
tion  of  the  rough  November  air  was  allowed  in  every  part. 
The  men  had  no  rations,  and  some  of  them  became  clamor 
ous  ;  but  order  was  soon  restored,  and  rations  of  bread  and 
ham  with  coffee  were  distributed.  They  could  not,  how 
ever,  all  be  brought  to  a  perfect  state  of  quietude.  Some 
were  determined  not  to  submit,  and  passed  the  night  in 
carousal,  while  those  soberly  inclined  tried  in  vain  to  sleep. 
The  officers  found  lodging  in  the  after  cabin,  where  some 
in  berths  and  some  on  the  floor,  we  passed  a  restless  night. 

As  we  approached  New  York  in  the  morning,  the  sky 
was  hung  with  heavy  clouds,  and  as  we  left  our  rickety 
old  craft  for  terra  firma,  the  rain  poured  in  fresh  torrents 


4  PEESENTATIOX    OF   FLAGS. 

upon  us.  We  marched  through  14th  street  and  Broadway 
to  the  Park.  We  were  to  remain  in  New  York  until  six 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  the  Sons  of  Saratoga  were  to 
present  us  with  a  stand  of  colors  and  guidons.  They  com 
menced  by  presenting  us  with  an  excellent  dinner,  at  which 
speeches  were  made  by  the  committee,  and  responded  to 
by  Colonel  McKean  and  others  on  our  part. 

Dinner  over,  the  regiment  was  drawn  up  in  front  of  the 
City  Hall,  where  the  ceremony  of  presenting  the  flags 
took  place.  The  banner  was  an  exquisite  piece  of  work, 
of  the  richest  fabric ;  a  blue  ground  with  elegant  designs 
in  oil.  On  one  side  was  represented  an  engagement  in 
which  the  American  soldiers,  led  by  Washington,  were 
fighting  under  the  old  flag  —  thirteen  stripes  and  the 
union  jack.  On  the  reverse  was  pictured  the  surrender 
of  Burgoyne,  at  Saratoga,  under  the  new  flag  —  the  stars 
and  stripes  —  first  unfurled  in  the  goodly  city  of  Albany, 
and  first  baptized  in  blood  at  the  decisive  battle  of  Bemis 
Heights,  which  resulted  in  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne  and 
the  virtual  success  of  the  Revolution. 

We  had  already  a  beautiful  national  flag,  the  gift  of  the 
patriotic  young  ladies  of  Mr.  Beecher's  seminary,  at  Sara 
toga.  • 

The  hour  for  departure  arrived,  and  we  crossed  to 
Amboy  by  ferry.  We  were  in  New  Jersey.  We  had 
heard  disparaging  things  of  the  railroad  management  of 
this  State,  but  we  were  now  to  realize  the  beauties 
of  monopoly.  We  learned  afterwards  to  respect  New 
Jersey's  soldiers,  many  of  whom  fought  shoulder  to 
shoulder  with  us,  and  were  among  the  bravest  of  the 
brave,  but  we  never  forgave  her  railroads.  The  men  were 
crowded  into  a  number  of  shaky  old  cars,  reeking  with 
filth,  and  redolent  of  most  noisome  odors.  It  was  in  vain 
that  we  protested  that  these  vehicles  were  unfit  for  trans 
porting  men ;  we  were  offered  by  the  agent  of  the  road 


HOSPITALITY    OF   PHILADELPHIA.  5 

the  alternative  to  take  these  cars  or  remain  where  we 
were.  We  concluded  to  go  on. 

At  four  o'clock  we  had  passed  over  the  whole  of  the 
Camden  and  Amboy  road.  Another  ferry  crossed,  and 
we  were  in  Philadelphia.  Glorious,  generous,  enlightened 
Philadelphia !  Many  of  our  men  were  sick  when  we  left 
Saratoga,  and  the  unaccustomed  hardships,  with  the  cold 
and  rain  thus  far  on  the  route,  had  greatly  prostrated 
them.  Many  others  had  also  been  seized  with  violent 
illness,  so  that  our  single  medical  officer  had  been  taxed 
beyond  his  strength  in  looking  after  the  wants  of  the  sick, 
while  the  little  case  of  medicines  with  which  we  started 
from  Saratoga  was  exhausted.  Among  the  first  acts  of 
kindness  of  these  excellent  people  was  the  care  of  our  sick. 
A  gentleman,  with  countenance  beaming  with  benevolence, 
said  to  the  doctor,  "If  you  will  get  your  sick  together,  we 
will  conduct  them  to  comfortable  quarters,  and  see  that 
they  are  well  cared  for."  The  heart  of  the  surgeon  leaped 
with  joy  at  finding  some  one  who  could  and  would  help 
to  care  for  the  poor  fellows. 

The  sick  being  collected,  our  friend  mounted  a  barrel 
and  called  to  the  soldiers  to  hear  him  a  moment.  "  You 
are  welcome,"  said  he,  "  to  Philadelphia,  and  to  show  you 
that  we  are  glad  to  see  you,  it  gives  us  pleasure  to  invite 
every  man  of  you  to  partake  of  a  warm  breakfast  which 
will  be  ready  for  you  in  a  few  minutes."  This  speech  was 
greeted  by  three  hearty  cheers  for  Philadelphia. 

The  doctor  soon  had  his  sick  removed  to  the  Soldiers' 
Retreat,  a  place  fitted  up  by  the  noble-hearted  people  of 
Philadelphia  for  the  entertainment  of  soldiers  passing 
through  their  city.  The  upper  part  of  the  building  was 
arranged  with  exquisite  taste  and  order  for  a  hospital. 
Here  were  many  sick  men  left  by  the  various  regiments 
which  had  passed  through  the  city.  Our  sick  boys  were 
placed  in  beds,  with  expressions  of  gratitude  that,  not- 


6  INCIDENTS    ON   THE    ROUTE. 

withstanding  their  illness,  their  lot  had  fallen  in  pleasant 
places. 

Presently  the  men  were  marched  into  the  long  saloon, 
where  all  took  their  places  at  the  well  spread  tables. 
The  repast  being  over,  Colonel  McKean  called  upon  the 
men  for  three  cheers  for  the  Philadelphians  ;  remarking 
that  there  need  be  no  fear  of  raising  the  roof,  for  even 
should  such  an  accident  occur  he  doubted  not  these  gen 
erous  people  would  willingly  replace  it.  Then  came 
the  cheers ;  and  such  cheers  !  only  to  be  surpassed  by  the 
three  more  and  then  three  more  that  followed. 

The  long  years  of  our  campaignings  never  diminished  the 
lively  feelings  of  gratitude  we  experienced  that  morning, 
and  to  this  day  our  veterans  never  speak  of  Philadelphia 
but  with  pleasing  recollections  of  the  friendly  reception 
given  them  by  the  goodly  inhabitants  of  the  Quaker  city. 

The  sun  was  up  when  we  resumed  our  journey,  and 
again  we  were  met  with  surprises.  All  along  the  track 
of  the  railroad,  men,  women  and  children,  filling  the  win 
dows  of  the  houses  and  thronging  the  wayside,  cheered  us 
on  our  way,  shouting  and  waving  flags  and  handkerchiefs. 
Children  in  the  arms  of  their  nurses  waved  little  flags  from 
the  windows  in  great  glee,  while  gray  haired  old  men 
in  piping  tones  cried  "  God  bless  our  soldiers."  This 
unlocked  for,  and  to  us  surprising  ovation  continued  until 
we  had  passed  the  limits  of  the  city,  and  indeed  did  not 
cease  till  we  had  left  the  station  many  miles  behind.  In 
the  train,  the  men  kept  up  a  continuous  cheering ;  tears 
stood  in  the  eyes  of  many,  and  the  most  enthusiastic 
expressions  passed  from  lip  to  lip. 

The  experience  of  our  regiment  was  only  that  of  others 
who  passed  through  this  noble  city,  and  often  during  our 
long  campaigns,  the  soldiers  of  different  regiments  would 
gather  round  their  camp  fires,  and  relate  to  each  other  the 
kindnesses  received  by  them  in  the  City  of  Brotherly  Love. 


ARRIVAL   AT   WASHINGTON  —  IN   CAMP.  7 

We  were  cordially  welcomed  in  Delaware,  the  people 
waving  banners  and  handkerchiefs,  and  when  those  were 
not  at  hand,  newspapers  or  even  articles  from  the  clothes 
lines  answered  to  show  their  good  will ;  and  the  negroes  in 
the  fields  swung  their  hats  and  their  hoes  with  great  spirit. 

We  reached  Baltimore  in  the  evening,  where  we  were 
kindly  received,  furnished  with  supper  and  sent  on  our 
way.  After  many  delays  we  reached  Washington  at  four 
o'clock  Sunday  morning,  and  were  assigned  to  temporary 
quarters  near  the  station.  Who  would  have  suspected 
that  it  was  the  Sabbath  ?  Now  we  began  to  see  some 
thing  of  the  circumstance  of  war.  Horsemen  were  gallop 
ing  in  every  direction ;  long  trains  of  army  wagons  rattled 
over  the  pavements  at  every  turn  of  the  eye;  squads  of 
soldiers  marched  here  and  there ;  all  was  hurry,  bustle  and 
confusion. 

It  was  night  when  we  reached  the  ground  for  our 
encampment  on  Meridian  Hill.  The  men  had  suffered 
much  from  cold,  and  what  at  that  time  was  hardship. 
Not  less  than  a  hundred  of  them  were  sick.  It  was  not 
long  before  tents  were  up,  and  for  the  first  time  the  regi 
ment  was  under  canvas. 

Our  camp  was  pleasantly  located,  commanding  a  fine 
view  of  Washington,  the  Potomac,  Alexandria  and  other 
points  of  interest.  We  were  surrounded  by  the  camps  of 
other  regiments,  some  arriving  and  some  departing  almost 
daily.  We  had  not  been  two  days  here  when  we  began 
to  get  a  taste  of  camp  rumors.  One  rumor  declared  that 
we  were  to  have  barracks  erected,  and  we  were  to  go  into 
winter  quarters,  while  another  assured  us  that  we  were  to 
have  an  immediate  taste  of  actual  warfare.  These  proved 
quite  as  reliable  as  the  thousands  of  rumors  which  during 
all  our  years  of  service  were  afloat  throughout  the  army, 
and  acquired  the  expressive  appellation  of  "  Camp  Yarns." 


CHAPTER  II. 

ARMY  LIFE  AT  WASHINGTON. 


Meridian  Hill  —  Neighboring  scenery  —  First  Sunday  in  camp  —  Drills  —  Sickness 
—  The  Hospital  — General  Casey  — ''Why  don't  the  army  move?"  — Washington 
blockaded  —  Burnside's  heroes  —  Orders  to  move  —  Something  of  a  train  —  Smith's 
division  — Our  first  reconnoissance. 


WE  encamped  on  Meridian  Hill  December  1st,  1861, 
with  960  men. 

Meridian  Hill  is  the  most  delightful  locality  in  the 
vicinity  of  Washington.  The  plain  on  which  the  city 
stands,  extends  northward  from  the  Potomac  about  two 
miles  where  it  is  abruptly  terminated  by  a  line  of  hills. 
From  the  summit  of  these  hills  stretches  back  another 
plain,  at  an  elevation  of  one  or  two  hundred  feet  above  the 
first.  Along  the  margin  of  these  eminences  were  some 
fine  old  suburban  mansions.  On  our  right  towards 
Georgetown,  was  Kalorama,  a  charming  spot,  once  the 
residence  of  Joel  Barlow,  the  author  of  the  famous  poems 
"  Hasty  Pudding"  and  "  The  Columbiad."  Now  the  build 
ing  was  converted  by  the  government  into  a  hospital.  In 
close  neighborhood  to  us  was  Columbia  College,  also  used 
as  a  hospital,  and  to  the  east  was  the  fine  mansion  of 
Colonel  Stone,  and  other  superb  places,  all  of  which,  like 
Kalorama  and  the  college,  were  full  of  sick  men. 

Meridian  Hill  was  in  the  center  of  this  line  of  once 
beautiful  country  residences,  directly  north  of  the  Presi 
dent's  house.  It  had  been  the  residence  of  Commodore 
Porter,  and  the  house  still  bore  the  name  of  "  the  Porter 
Mansion."  The  grounds  had  been  elegantly  laid  out  with 


NEIGHBOKIXG    SCEXERY. 


box  and  jumper,  while  the  rich  groves  of  oak  and  chestnut 
surrounding  lent  additional  charms  to  the  locality.  The 
hill  was  dotted  with  the  white  tents  of  a  dozen  regiments, 
but  none  were  so  pleasantly  located  as  our  own,  under  the 
shadow  of  those  grand  old  trees. 

The  mansion  itself  became  our  hospital,  and  for  a  time 
also  served  as  our  head-quarters.  From  its  broad  piazza 
we  could  look  upon  the  busy  scenes  of  the  city,  and  watch 
the  vessels  passing  up  and  down  upon  the  river.  A  week 
had  passed  before  we  were  fairly  established  in  our 
quarters,  but  we  rapidly  learned  the  mysteries  of  the 
soldier's  life. 

The  weather  was  delightful ;  more  like  September  than 
what  we  were  accustomed  to  experience  in  December. 
Although  heavy  mists  hung  over  us  until  nine  or  ten 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  they  were  dispelled  by  the  warm 
sunshine,  and  then  all  was  bright  as  midsummer.  This 
lovely  weather  continued  until  about  the  first  of  January. 

The  country  in  rear  of  our  encampment  was  charming. 
Fine  groves,  traversed  by  streams  of  pure,  sweet  water, 
and  fields  surrounded  by  hedges,  stretched  far  to  the 
northward.  The  dark  green  leaves  of  the  magnolia  were 
to  be  seen  here  and  there  among  trees  of  larger  growth, 
and  the  shining,  ever-green  laurel  forming  a  dense  under 
growth,  gave  the  woods  a  lively  and  spring-like  appearance. 
On  the  open  plain  might  any  day  be  seen  a  regiment  of 
Lancers,  wheeling  and  charging  in  their  brilliant  evolu 
tions,  their  long  lances  with  bright  red  pennons  adding 
greatly  to  the  beauty  of  the  display,  and,  as  we  at  that 
time  vainly  believed,  to  the  efficacy  of  the  troop. 

The  first  Sunday  came,  and  we  had  religious  services. 
The  regiment  was  formed  in  front  of  the  mansion,  every 
man  being  called  out,  unless  on  duty  or  excused  on  account 
of  illness.  This  became  an  established  rule  with  us  for 
all  time ;  every  man  was  required  to  attend  divine  service 
2 


10  FIEST   SUNDAY  IN  CAMP  —  DRILLS. 

unless  especially  excused.  Chaplain  Tully  and  the  mem 
bers  of  the  staff  occupied  the  piazza.  The  chaplain  offered 
a  prayer  for  the  loved  ones  at  home,  and  then  we  all  sung 
" Coronation,"  and  after  the  sermon,  we  sung  " Cambridge" 
and  "  Old  Hundred."  The  men  seemed  deeply  affected  by 
the  simple  service,  and  many  a  quivering  lip  betrayed  the 
emotions  of  the  heart. 

Drills  became  the  order  of  the  day.  Every  morning 
the  hill  rang  from  one  end  to  the  other  with  the  sharp 
commands  of  the  company  officers  to  "  Order  arms ! " 
"  Shoulder  arms ! "  as  the  men  exercised  by  squads. 
Besides  the  regular  drill  in  the  manual  of  arms,  some  of 
the  companies  delighted  in  that  system  of  military  gym 
nastics  called  the  bayonet  exercise.  In  the  afternoon 
Colonel  McKean  usually  trained  the  regiment  in  the  more 
difficult  exercises  of  the  battalion  drill. 

But  we  began  to  feel  the  scourge  of  new  regiments. 
Disease  became  almost  universal.  We  had  but  a  single 
medical  officer  and  he  was  tasked  beyond  his  strength. 
One  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred  men  were  pre 
scribed  for  every  morning,  aside  from  those  so  ill  as  to  be 
in  the  hospital. 

The  large  parlors  of  the  old  mansion  were  neatly  fitted 
up  for  our  hospital,  for  which  they  were  admirably  adapted. 
The  two  principal  wards  were  the  large  front  parlors, 
which  communicated  by  folding  doors ;  the  ceilings  were 
high,  and  the  large  open  fire  places  in  either  apartment 
served  the  double  purpose  of  supplying  heat  and  ventila 
tion,  so  that  while  about  fifty  beds  were  always  occupied, 
the  air  was  kept  fresh  and  pure.  Typhoid  fevers,  typhoid 
pneumonias,  diphtheria,  and  remittent  fevers  were  preva 
lent,  while  now  and  then  the  malaria  manifested  itself  in 
the  form  of  the  terrible  spotted  fever.  Besides,  as  usually 
occurs  when  the  last  named  disease  prevails  in  camps, 
some  died  suddenly  from  unknown  causes. 


SICKNESS    IX    CAMP GENERAL    CASEY.  11 

By  the  tenth  of  the  month  the  majority  of  the  men 
were  unfit  for  duty.  In  one  company  the  three  commis 
sioned  officers  were  in  the  hospital,  and  but  twelve  men 
could  be  mustered  for  evening  parade.  The  labors  of  the 
medical  officer  who  undertakes  single-handed  to  minister 
to  the  wants  of  a  regiment  of  recruits  can  only  be  known 
to  those  who  have  tried  it.  Our  doctor  was  as  much  worn 
out  by  the  perplexities  of  organizing  his  department  as  by 
the  actual  attendance  on  the  sick.  New  demands  came 
almost  every  hour  of  the  day  and  night,  and  it  was  only 
when  the  violence  of  disease  had  subsided,  and  another 
officer  was  added  to  the  medical  staff',  that  our  weary  son 
of  Galen  found  a  degree  of  respite. 

We  were  in  the  command  of  General  Silas  Casey,  a 
noble  specimen  of  a  man  and  a  soldier.  His  manly 
dignity  and  kindly  bearing  impressed  all  with  profound 
respect  for  him,  arid  although  we  were  but  a  few  weeks  in 
his  command  we  never  ceased  to  remember  him  with 
pleasure.  The  provisional  brigade  and  division  to  which 
we  were  attached  was  frequently  reviewed  and  drilled  by 
the  general,  and  made  a  fine  appearance. 

Thus  the  time  passed  until  the  opening  of  the  New  Year. 
Our  men,  like  most  fresh  soldiers,  were  anxious  for  a  fight, 
and  were  heartily  tired  of  what  they  considered  inglorious 
inactivity.  Many  of  them  expressed  great  fears  that  they 
would  be  obliged  to  return  home  without  ever  hearing  the 
sound  of  battle.  How  greatly  they  were  mistaken  we 
shall  see  as  we  trace  the  bloody  campaigns  of  more  than 
three  years  of  hard  fighting. 

Our  friends  at  home  were  not  unmindful  of  us.  Boxes 
of  clothing  and  other  comforts  for  the  sick  were  sent  in 
goodly  numbers ;  so  our  sick  were  well  supplied  with 
bedding  and  changes  of  clothing,  as  well  as  jellies  and 
other  luxuries.  Our  friend,  McMicheal,  of  Congress  Hall, 
Saratoga,  thinking  we  could  better  celebrate  the  New 


12  "WHY  DON'T  THE  ARMY  MOVE?" 

Year  with  a  good  dinner,  sent  us  one  worthy  of  his  fame 
as  a  landlord.  Could  Mack  have  heard  the  cheers  of  the 
boys  that  made  the  ground  tremble  as  the  four  hundred 
pounds  of  cooked  chickens  and  turkeys  were  distributed 
among  them,  his  glory  as  a  caterer  would  have  been  com 
plete.  With  the  New  Year  came  stormy  weather;  rain 
was  the  rule,  sunshine  the  exception.  The  mud  became 
almost  unfathomable  and  it  was  not  uncommon  to  see  the 
six  mules  attached  to  an  army  wagon  tugging  and  striving 
with  all  their  power  to  drag  the  empty  wagon  out  of  a 
mud  hole.  Boys  who  had  plied  the  trade  of  bootblack 
gave  up  their  profession  and  with  pail  and  sponge  in  hand 
called  to  the  passer  by,  "  Wash  your  boots,  sir  ?"  During 
the  lovely  month  of  December  we  had  been  impatient  for 
action ;  but  now  the  oft  repeated  question,  "  Why  don't  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  move?"  became  ludicrous  to  our  ears. 

Thus  passed  another  month  in  drills  and  camp  duties. 
Some  recruits  came  to  us,  while  many  of  the  men  who 
came  out  at  first  were  found  unfit  for  field  duty  and  were 
discharged. 

Distrust  arose  among  officers  and  enlisted  men  of  our 
army  about  the  capital,  in  regard  to  the  manner  in  which 
the  army  was  managed.  A  wilderness  of  men  surrounded 
Washington,  and  yet  we  were  blockaded  by  the  rebels  on 
all  sides  except  one. 

Government  was  paying  enormous  prices  for  fuel  con 
sumed  by  the  army,  because  the  Potomac  was  closed,  and 
all  wood  had  to  be  brought  by  rail  from  the  sparsely 
wooded  districts  of  Maryland.  Provisions  sold  at  fabu 
lous  prices,  and  Washington  was  in  fact  a  beleagured  city. 
Some  rays  of  light  from  the  west  penetrated  the  thick 
darkness ;  but  it  cannot  be  concealed  that  while  the  Grand 
Army  stationed  about  the  capital  panted  for  action  and 
longed  for  the  glory  of  the  battle-field,  a  gloom  possessed 
the  spirits  of  the  men,  and  a  feeling,  that  all  this  splendid 


BURSTSIDE'S  HEROES  —  ORDERS  TO  MOVE.  13 

material  was  destined  to  a  "  masterly  inactivity,"  prevailed. 
Our  hopes  were  newly  kindled  when  the  affairs  of  the 
War  Department  passed  into  the  hands  of  a  live  man, 
and  when  Mr.  Stanton's  practical  energy  began  to  be 
manifested  both  in  the  department  and  in  the  field.  We 
heard  from  Burnside ;  first  sad  news,  and  then  of  success ; 
and  our  hearts  burned  to  be  with  him.  Fort  Donelson  fol 
lowed  Roanoke ;  and  Price's  army  was  routed  in  Missouri. 
We  envied  the  men  who  had  been  our  nearest  neighbors, 
but  who  had  followed  Burnside  to  the  South.  Glorious 
fellows !  What  cared  they  now  for  the  fury  of  the  waves 
or  the  hardships  of  short  rations?  We  were  afraid  of 
being  left  as  idle  spectators  of  great  things  in  which  we 
should  not  be  allowed  to  participate. 

On  the  15th  of  February  came  an  order  for  us  to  move 
in  a  few  days,  and  join  Smith's  division.  This  division 
lay  upon  the  other  side  of  the  river,  and  although  we  had 
been  anxious  to  move  we  did  not  wish  to  get  permanently 
fixed  in  the  mud  by  moving  there.  We  knew  little  of 
General  Smith  or  his  division,  only  that  the  general  had 
been  trying  very  hard  for  some  time  past  to  get  the  regi 
ment,  and  we  had  little  hopes  of  good  from  the  new 
arrangement.  How  little  did  we  then  suppose  that  the 
cross  of  that  old  division  would  be  one  of  the  proudest 
badges  of  honor  that  men  could  wear  ! 

Sunday  night  came,  and  the  order  to  move  at  once, 
came  also.  What  a  scene  of  confusion !  We  had  never 
broken  up  camp  before,  and  the  excitement  ran  high.  The 
pounding  and  tearing  of  boards,  the  shouting  of  men  and 
braying  of  mules,  combined  in  a  grand  uproar.  Bonfires 
blazed  from  every  part  of  the  camp,  and  the  whole  night 
was  spent  in  tearing  down  quarters  and  loading  the  stuff 
into  army  wagons  as  they  presented  themselves  in  great 
numbers.  It  was  a  rare  sight.  The  camp  glowing  with  a 
hundred  fires,  and  the  men  and  teams  moving  about  among 


14  SOMETHING    OF   A   TRAIN. 

them  like  spectres.  Morning  came,  and  the  teams  were 
loaded,  and  the  men  ready  to  march.  The  teams  drove 
out  and  formed  a  line  reaching  down  14th  street  from  our 
camp  nearly  to  the  White  House  !  One  hundred  and  five 
six-mule  teams  constituted  the  train  for  our  regimental 
baggage;  and  so  much  dissatisfaction  prevailed  among 
certain  company  officers  that  we  were  allowed  twenty-five 
more  teams  next  day !  Rain  had  fallen  nearly  all  night, 
and  the  prospect  looked  dreary.  As  the  day  advanced 
the  rain  came  faster  and  faster,  until  it  fairly  poured.  The 
men  waded  through  mortar  nearly  to  their  knees. 

It  was  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when  we  reached 
Smith's  division  and  the  ground  on  which  we  were  to  make 
our  camp.  The  prospect  was  not  cheering,  and  as  two  or 
three  of  our  staff  oificers  rode  upon  the  ground,  the  place 
seemed  forbidding  enough.  It  had  been  recently  the  loca 
tion  of  a  thicket  of  scrub  pines,  but  the  trees  had  been 
cut  down  for  fuel,  and  the  stumps  and  brush  remained,  so 
that  the  mounted  officers  found  much  difficulty  in  reining 
their  horses  into  the  midst.  Snow  covered  the  ground  to 
the  depth  of  several  inches.  Here  our  men,  tired  and 
wet,  cold  and  hungry,  were  to  pitch  their  tents,  cook  their 
suppers,  and  make  their  beds. 

The  men  fell  to  work  heartily,  and  by  dark  they  had 
cleared  off  the  snow  and  brush  enough  to  make  room  for 
their  tents,  and  many  cook  fires  blazed  over  the  camp. 

The  regiments  of  the  division  showed  us  much  hospi 
tality,  and  a  very  pleasant  acquaintance  commenced  on 
that  day,  which  was  destined  to  become  earnest  friendship. 
The  next  day  was  spent  in  putting  the  camp  in  order.  As 
rain  continued  to  fall,  the  mud  in  the  company  streets 
became  knee-deep.  Our  sick,  those  unable  to  walk,  had 
been  left  in  our  old  hospital  with  a  sufficient  number  of 
faithful  nurses,  under  charge  of  the  surgeon  of  one  of  the 
regiments  that  remained. 


SMITH'S  DIVISION.  15 

Let  us  for  a  moment  glance  at  the  composition  of  the 
division,  of  which  we  now  formed  a  part.  We  were 
assigned  to  the  Third  brigade.  It  comprised,  beside  our 
own,  the  Thirty-third  New  York,  Colonel  Taylor,  a  regiment 
whose  gallantry  at  Yorktown,  Williamsburgh  and  Fred- 
ricksburgh  fully  established  ,its  reputation  as  one  of  the 
best  fighting  regiments  in  the  army.  The  Forty-ninth 
New  York,  Colonel  Bidwell,  a  noble  regiment  with  a 
noble  commander,  a  regiment  which  could  always  be 
counted  on  to  do  all  that  men  could  do ;  the  Seventh 
Maine,  Colonel  Mason,  whose  men  were  patterned  after 
the  pines  of  their  own  forests,  tall,  straight  and  powerful 
fellows,  who  never  forgot  their  proclivities  for  hunting, 
and  who  were  never  so  happy  as  when  they  could  pick  off 
a  few  rebel  pickets  with  their  rifles.  The  brigade  was 
commanded  by  General  Davidson,  who  afterwards  made 
himself  exceedingly  disagreeable  to  the  rebels,  and  famous 
at  the  north  by  his  daring  cavalry  raids  in  the  west.  The 
first  brigade  included  the  Forty-third  New  York,  Colonel 
Vinton ;  the  Forty-ninth  Pennsylvania,  Colonel  Irwin ;  the 
Sixth  Maine,  Colonel  Knowles ;  and  the  Fifth  Wisconsin, 
Colonel  Cobb ;  all  of  them  excellent  regiments,  under  com 
mand  of  General  Hancock,  who  has  since  placed  his  name 
high  on  the  roll  of  fame  as  the  commander  of  the  old 
Second  corps. 

The  Second  brigade  was  composed  entirely  of  Vermont 
troops,  including  the  Second,  Third,  Fourth,  Fifth  and 
Sixth  Vermont  regiments,  commanded  respectively  by 
Colonels  Henry  Whiting,  B.  N.  Hyde,  E.  H.  Stoughton,  L. 
A.  Grant  and  N.  M.  Lord,  and  known  as  the  "  Vermont 
Brigade,"  and  nobly  did  they  sustain  the  traditional  repu 
tation  of  the  Green  Mountain  Boys,  as  stern  patriots  and 
hard  fighters.  They  were  commanded  by  General  Brooks, 
who  afterward  commanded  the  Tenth  corps. 

General  William  F.  Smith,  or,  as  he  was  familiarly 


16  OUK    FIRST    RECONNOISSANCE. 

known,  "  Baldy  Smith,"  commanded  the  division.  He  is 
too  well  known  to  all  who  admire  a  true  soldier  to  require 
more  than  a  mention  here,  and  his  great  fame  has  been 
well  and  faithfully  earned. 

No  more  splendid  material,  either  for  officers  or  men, 
ever  entered  into  the  composition  of  a  division,  and  how 
nobly  it  played  its  part  in  the  great  drama  of  the  war,  it 
shall  be  part  of  our  duty  to  record.  Drills,  regimental, 
brigade  and  division,  were  again  in  order,  and  picket  duty 
now  became  a  part  of  our  routine. 

This  would  not  be  a  faithful  chronicle  of  the  doings  of 
the  new  regiment,  were  we  to  forget  to  relate  the  history 
of  our  first  expedition  into  the  enemy's  country. 

An  order  came  one  evening  in  February  for  Colonel 
McKean  to  take  his  regiment  and  make  a  reconnoissance 
towards  Vienna.  His  instructions  were  to  pass  the  picket 
line,  advance  towards  Vienna,  make  a  thorough  recon 
noissance  and  return. 

The  news  spread  through  the  camp,  and  the  regiment 
was  ablaze  with  excitement.  Some  who  had  been  on  the 
sick  list,  and  were  excused  from  camp  duty,  sought  from 
the  surgeon  permission  to  accompany  the  expedition, 
while  a  few  who  had  been,  up  to  this  time,  well,  were 
earnest  in  their  applications  to  be  excused  from  the  march. 

The  regiment  was  formed  at  ten  o'clock  at  night ;  thick 
darkness,  darkness  of  the  blackest  and  most  intense 
degree,  prevailed.  One  could  scarcely  see  his  neighbor 
whose  shoulder  touched  his  own.  We  were  miles  away 
from  the  enemy,  but  the  men  were  to  be  instructed  in 
performing  their  movements  in  secresy ;  so  the  commands 
were  passed  along  the  line,  as  the  companies  were  form 
ing,  in  whisper.  No  lights  were  allowed,  and  we  left  our 
camp  a  column  of  blackness.  We  were  presently  joined 
by  a  guide  who  carried  a  lantern.  We  passed  a  great 
many  regiments,  all  the  while  observing  strict  silence. 


OUR  FIRST   RECONNOISSANCE.  17 

The  mud  was  deep,  very  deep  ;  some  of  the  men  lost  their 
shoes  in  the  depths  of  the  mire,  and  some  even  lost  them 
selves,  and  were  only  discovered  when  they  arrived  in 
camp  some  hours  earlier  than  the  regiment.  Through  the 
darkness  we  plodded  until  we  reached  our  destination,  at 
daylight  on  the  following  morning.  Here  we  found  bough 
houses  which  had  been  used  by  rebel  cavalry;  and  the 
tracks  of  many  horses  imprinted  only  a  little  while  before, 
whether  by  the  horses  of  our  own  cavalry ;  or  by  those  of 
the  enemy,  we  never  knew.  The  battalion  was  halted 
and  scouts  were  sent  to  the  front  and  on  the  flanks.  Some 
of  the  boys  who  had  lost  their  shoes  in  the  mud  before 
we  had  advanced  the  first  mile,  had  made  the  whole  march 
in  their  stockings;  while  others,  who  had  been  sick,  looked 
as  though  they  could  never  get  back  to  camp.  The  com 
panies  deployed  and  marched  through  the  woods,  but  as 
the  enemy  was  on  the  other  side  of  Vienna  we  saw  no 
rebels.  It  was  noon  when  we  reached  our  camp,  tired 
and  covered  with  mud.  Those  who  went  laughed  at  those 
who  remained  behind,  and  called  them  "  dead  beats ! " 
The  "beats "  tauntingly  demanded  of  the  others  what  all 
their  demonstration  had  amounted  to. 

The  New  York  papers  heralded  the  exploit  as  a  grand 
advance  on  the  enemy,  and  we  said  little  about  it. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  MANASSAS  CAMPAIGN. 

Oiders  to  march  —  A  grand  spectacle  — Bivouac  near  Fairfax  Court  House  — The 
camps  at  night  — Visits  to  Manassas  and  Centreville  —  Dissatisfaction  in  the 
army  —  A  deserted  country  —  Lawless  soldiers— Fairfax  Court  House— A  repre 
sentative  Southerner  —  Review  by  Gen.  McClellan  —  March  to  Alexandria  — 
"  Camp  Misery." 

THE  first  week  in  March  brought  lovely  weather  :  birds 
sang  more  sweetly,  the  sun  shone  more  brightly,  and 
bands  played  more  merrily  than  usual,  and  friends  passed 
from  regiment  to  regiment  seeking  social  pastime  with 
friends. 

We  had  known  no  such  pleasant  times  in  camp ;  still  we 
were  waiting  for  orders  to  advance.  During  the  night  of 
Sunday,  the  8th  of  March,  the  order  came :  "  This  division 
will  move  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  with  two  days' 
rations  in  haversacks."  Little  rest  we  got  that  night ;  the 
hammer  and  the  axe  were  plied  vigorously  in  tearing 
down  quarters  and  packing  stores,  and  as  the  sun  rose  in 
the  morning  the  whole  army  was  in  motion.  It  was  a 
sublime  spectacle :  that  immense  line  of  troops  pouring 
along  hour  after  hour,  stretching  over  the  hills  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  reach;  a  hundred  and  twenty  thousand 
troops  on  the  move  !  Just  beyond  and  above  them,  in  the 
gray  sky  of  the  morning,  hung  a  beautiful  rainbow.  At 
six  our  division  commenced  to  march.  Rain  soon  began  to 
fall,  and  continued  all  day.  We  passed  through  Vienna 
and  Lewinsville,  each  a  hamlet  of  a  dozen  houses,  and 
reached  our  camping  ground  at  five  o'clock  in  the  after 
noon,  tired,  and  drenched,  and  hungry. 


BIVOUAC   NEAR    FAIRFAX    COURT    HOUSE.  19 

Great  numbers  of  troops  had  already  occupied  the  fields, 
and  the  whole  country  seemed  alive  with  men  and  horses, 
artillery  and  wagons.  We  were  in  the  vicinity  of  Fairfax 
Court  House,  about  a  mile  to  the  northward,  on  what  was 
called  Flint  Hill. 

The  army,  for  the  first  time,  was  under  "  tentes  tfcibri" 
or,  as  they"  are  now  called,  shelter  tents.  Until  now 
the  enlisted  men  had  occupied  the  spacious  Sibley,  or 
the  comfortable  wedge  tents,  and  all  officers  were  quar 
tered  in  wall  tents ;  now,  line  officers  and  enlisted  men 
were  to  occupy  shelter  tents,  which  they  were  to  carry 
on  their  shoulders;  and  although  a  small  number  of 
Avail  tents  could  be  carried  in  the  wagons  for  field  and 
staff  officers,  yet  so  imperfect  was  the  understanding, 
in  or  out  of  the  quartermaster's  department,  of  what 
could  or  ought  to  be  done,  that  most  regimental  field 
and  staff  officers  were  left  without  any  shelter  at  all. 

The  men  proceeded  to  make  themselves  as  comfortable 
as  possible  under  their  novel  coverings,  and  as  evening 
approached,  the  hills  were  magnificently  illuminated  with 
thousands  of  camp  fires.  Very  few  men  occupied  their 
new  tents  that  night.  They  had  not  been  accustomed  to 
lie  upon  wet  ground,  with  only  a  single  blanket  wrapped 
about  them,  so  during  all  the  night  groups  of  soldiers 
stood  about  the  camp  fires,  talking  in  low  tones  and  won 
dering  what  was  to  happen  in  the  morning.  The  sky  was 
clear  and  bright  when  the  sun  rose,  and  as  we  looked  out 
upon  the  hill  tops,  dotted  with  clean  white  tents,  and 
bristling  with  stacks  of  shining  muskets,  we  exulted  in 
the  thought  that  we  were  part  of  the  Grand  Army  that 
was  now  at  work.  Soon  we  knew  that  we  were  not  to 
fight  here.  The  cavalry,  and  some  of  Porter's  division, 
were  returning  from  Manassas  and  Centreville,  both  places 
burned  and  deserted.  Were  we  to  pursue  the  retreating 
army,  or  were  we  to  return  to  Washington  to  take  a  new 


20  VISITS    TO    MANASSAS   AND    CENTRE VILLE. 

start  ?  Parties  from  the  division  rode  to  Centreville  and 
Manassas.  The  works  were  indeed  formidable  and  the 
barracks  extensive ;  and  the  old  chestnut  logs  with  black 
ened  ends,  that  were  mounted  in  some  of  the  embrasures, 
had,  at  a  distance,  grim  visages.  The  smoking  ruins 
betokened  the  destructiveness  of  war.  On  the  old  battle 
field  lay  bleaching  the  bones  of  horses  and  men,  and  here 
and  there  might  be  seen  portions  of  human  skeletons  pro 
truding  from  the  shallow  graves  where  some  pretense  had 
been  made  at  burial.  Fragments  of  shells,  broken  mus 
kets  and  solid  shot  strewed  the  ground. 

Head-quarters  of  the  army  were  established  at  Fairfax 
Court  House,  and  thither  repaired  the  corps  commanders 
to  hold  a  council  in  regard  to  our  future  movements.  The 
country  about  our  camp  was  rolling  and  sparsely  settled. 
Nearly  all  the  houses  were  deserted,  and  most  of  them 
destroyed  so  far  as  any  future  usefulness  was  concerned. 
One  house,  the  ruins  of  which  stood  not  far  from  our 
camp,  and  which  had  been  the  most  comfortable  place  in 
the  whole  section  of  country,  had  been  the  residence  of  a 
northern  farmer.  Although  the  house  was  completely 
stripped,  and  nothing  of  the  barns  and  outhouses  remained 
but  the  frames,  yet  there  were  many  evidences  of  the  thrift 
and  comfort  of  the  former  occupant.  A  northern  reaper, 
several  horse  rakes,  ploughs  of  improved  patterns,  and 
other  modern  implements  of  agriculture,  betokened  a 
genuine  farmer.  We  were  told  that  he  was  driven  from 
his  home  early  in  the  war,  and  had  now  found  refuge 
among  his  friends  in  New  Hampshire.  But  the  houses  of 
the  southerners  had  not  been  exempt  from  the  general 
devastation,  and  some  who  had  sought  refuge  in  Rich 
mond  had  left  their  homes  to  ruin.  The  people  were 
evidently  strongly  "  secesh,"  although  some  of  them  pro 
fessed  to  be  glad  to  see  us. 

It  cannot  be  said  that  the  presence  of  our  army  afforded 


LAWLESS   SOLDIERS FAIRFAX    COURT   HOUSE.  21 

them  great  protection,  for  the  men,  unused  to  the  strict 
discipline  which  afterward  prevailed,  coolly  appropriated 
whatever  articles  seemed  to  them  to  be  of  use  either  for 
the  present  or  the  future.  It  was  amusing  to  see  the  sol 
diers  of  some  of  the  divisions  in  which  less  than  the  usual 
discipline  prevailed,  peering  and  creeping  about  wherever 
there  seemed  a  prospect  of  plunder.  Now  one  would  pass 
with  a  pair  of  chickens ;  next,  one  bringing  a  clothes  line ; 
then  one  with  part  of  an  old  table,  and  still  another  with 
half  a  dozen  eggs.  This  system  of  plunder  was  at  length 
checked,  in  a  measure  at  least.  Fowls,  eggs  and  potatoes 
could  be  purchased  of  the  people  at  fair  rates,  while  rebel 
currency  could  be  bought  for  silver  at  a  very  considerable 
discount.  Twenty-five  cent  and  one  cent  shinplasters  were 
brought  into  camp  and  laughed  at  by  men  who  were  after 
ward  glad  to  get  shinplasters  from  another  manufactory. 
To  Fairfax  Court  House  was  but  a  short  distance ;  and  a 
ride  to  the  village  afforded  a  pleasant  gallop  of  a  morning. 
The  place,  and  the  country  half  a  mile  on  each  side,  was 
occupied  by  McCall's  division.  The  village  was  pleas 
antly  located  on  high  ground,  surrounded  by  fine  groves. 
It  contained  some  pretty  residences,  which  were  occupied 
by  officers  as  head-quarters :  their  horses,  in  some  instances, 
being  picketed  on  the  porticos,  and  in  others  in  the 
kitchens.  The  village  was  nearly  deserted  by  its  own 
people,  not  more  than  fifty  of  the  original  inhabitants 
being  left,  though  the  population  of  the  town  before  the 
war  was  nearly  six  hundred.  Houses  which  were  deserted 
were  generally  stripped  of  everything.  The  court  house 
was  a  solid  old  brick  building  of  very  limited  dimensions, 
with  a  little  bell  swinging  in  a  comical  looking  steeple. 
The  court  house  was  by  no  means  an  exception  to  the 
general  rule  of  destruction ;  the  seats  were  torn  out,  and 
the  judge's  bench  had  been  split  in  pieces,  and  nearly  all 
carried  away  by  pockets  full,  as  relics.  At  one  of  the 


22  A    REPRESENTATIVE    SOUTHERNER. 

houses  where  the  family  still  remained,  a  party  reined  up 
and  made  some  inquiries  of  the  pater  familias,  a  hang 
dog  looking  specimen,  with  an  old  slouched  hat  covered 
to  the  crown  with  rusty  crape,  a  mark  of  second-hand 
gentility  in  these  parts.  He  said  that  "this  yer  war" 
had  caused  such  a  famine  among  the  people,  that  nearly 
all  of  them  had  been  obliged  to  leave ;  some  had  gone  to 
Washington  and  some  to  Richmond,  "  a  right  smart  lot 
of  them  had  gone  to  Richmond."  He  had  "  reckoned 
onct  or  twict "  that  he  would  have  to  go  too,  but  he 
"  had  succeeded  in  hanging  on  so  long." 

Our  division  was  reviewed  by  General  McClellan,  who 
was  received  with  enthusiasm.  Although  many  of  us 
were  familiar  with  the  appearance  of  the  Commander-in- 
Chief,  this  was  his  first  appearance  to  us  as  a  division. 
The  General  appeared  a  man  below  the  medium  height, 
with  broad  shoulders,  full  chest  and  a  round  pleasing  face 
relieved  by  a  heavy  moustache.  He  sat  his  horse  well 
and  rode  with  great  speed.  While  his  appearance  and 
address  were  pleasing,  there  seemed  in  his  smooth  face 
and  mild  eye  nothing  to  indicate  a  man  of  brilliant  genius 
or  great  purpose. 

At  length  the  council  of  corps  commanders  had  rendered 
its  decision,  and  the  grand  campaign  of  the  Virginian 
Peninsula  was  planned.  On  the  morning  of  the  four 
teenth  of  March,  with  buoyant  hopes  and  exulting  antici 
pations  of  a  "quick,  sharp  and  decisive,"  and  as  we 
devoutly  believed,  a  successful  campaign,  we  left  oiu-  camp 
at  Flint  Hill.  It  had  few  charms  for  us,  and  we  were  glad 
to  leave  it.  How  little  we  yet  knew  of  real  campaigning. 
Although  we  had  notice  several  hours  beforehand  that 
we  were  to  move  by  daylight,  yet  many,  indeed,  the 
majority  of  us,  marched  that  morning  without  breakfast. 

No  morning  sun  cheered  us  as  the  day  began,  but  the 
sky  was^  hung  with  heavy  clouds.  A  drizzling  rain,  now 


MARCH    TOWARD   ALEXANDRIA.  23 

diminishing  almost  to  a  heavy  mist,  and  now  coming  in 
fresh  showers,  made  the  marching  heavy  and  unpleasant. 
Grandly  appeared  that  majestic  army  as  it  filed  down  the 
turnpike  to  Alexandria.  At  times  the  elevation  of  the  road 
afforded  a  view  of  the  mighty  column  for  miles  to  the  front, 
and  at  other  times  we  could  see  it  pouring  onward  an 
endless  stream  of  cavalry,  infantry,  artillery  and  wagons, 
far  from  the  rear. 

So  grand  a  spectacle  had  never  been  witnessed  on  this 
continent  before.  Our  march  was  rapid  and  we  made  no 
halt  for  dinner :  those  who  went  without  breakfast  had 
poor  chance  for  coffee  that  day. 

Towards  evening  the  rain  increased,  and  as  we  drew  off 
into  a  piece  of  woods  five  miles  out  from  Alexandria,  the 
rain  came  down  in  sheets.  Near  our  halting  place  were 
some  deserted  houses.  No  sooner  had  we  stopped  than 
began  the  work  of  destruction,  afterward  so  familiar  to 
us,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  there  was  not  a  board  or 
timber  left  of  either  building.  The  ground,  although 
quite  uneven  and  sloping,  soon  became  so  flooded  that 
tents,  even  when  they  could  be  pitched,  were  untenable. 
The  men  attempted  to  build  fires,  but  in  most  instances 
the  floods  of  water  quenched  the  flames.  Some,  however, 
succeeded  in  starting  huge  fires,  and  around  these  stood 
the  men  during  the  whole  night,  while  the  tempest  poured 
in  torrents  upon  them.  A  few  of  the  officers  of  the  divi 
sion,  among  whom  was  one  who  afterward  became  noted 
for  looking  out  for  and  providing  good  things  for  his  regi 
ment  as  quartermaster,  sought  refuge  in  a  house  not  far 
off,  where,  for  the  moderate  sum  of  twenty-five  cents 
each,  they  were  allowed  by  the  people  sleeping  room  upon 
the  floor.  Never  since  the  times  of  Pharaoh  was  an  army 
so  thoroughly  drenched.  During  more  than  three  years 
campaigning  in  the  field  our  boys  never  forgot  that  night ; 
and  to  this  day  they  frequently  refer  to  the  disagreeable 


24  CAMP   MISERY. 

experience  in  what  they  not  inappropriately  term  "  Camp 
Misery."  Here,  in  "  Camp  Misery,"  we  remained  several 
days,  waiting  to  embark  for  Fortress  Monroe. 

Without  doubt,  the  rebels  all  this  time  knew  of  our  des 
tination  ;  for  the  people  among  whom  we  were  encamped 
were  by  no  means  our  friends  or  indifferent  to  the  success 
of  the  rebels,  and  the  point  of  our  destination  was  well 
known  and  freely  spoken  of  among  them. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  ARMY  TRANSFERRED  TO  THE  PENINSULA. 

Embarking  for  the  Peninsula  —  Mount  Vernon — On  the  Potomac  —  Hampton  —  In 
camp  — Orders  to  march— Anight  visit  to  Fortress  Monroe  — The  advance— A 
sifting— A  Quaker  battery  —At  Newport  News  —  Compliments  of  the  Teaser. 

ON  Sunday  morning,  March  23d,  we  marched  to  Alex 
andria.  The  whole  of  our  division,  and  of  the  other 
divisions  of  Keyes'  corps,  were  there,  besides  part  of 
Heintzelman's  corps  and  other  troops.  In  the  course 
of  the  afternoon,  this  great  body  of  men  was  embarked 
upon  the  transports.  The  vessels  having  received  their 
lading,  swung  out  upon  the  river  and  laid  at  anchor  dur 
ing  the  night.  Early  in  the  morning  the  whole  fleet  was 
under  way,  steaming  down  the  river.  We  passed  Mount 
Vernon  —  the  bells  of  the  fleet  tolling.  The  tomb  lies  in 
the  midst  of  a  clump  of  firs  just  south  and  a  little  below 
the  house;  the  mansion  and  the  grounds  are  nearly  as 
they  were  left  by  Washington,  and  the  whole  looks  down 
upon  the  river,  calling  upon  the  passer-by  for  a  thought 
upon  the  great  man  whose  dust  lies  beneath  the  fir  trees. 
After  passing  Mount  Vernon,  nothing  of  special  interest 
was  seen  except  the  broad  expanse  of  waters  of  this  mag 
nificent  stream.  A  few  large  mansions,  a  few  inferior 
houses,  and  now  and  then  a  little  hamlet,  appeared  on  the 
banks ;  and  at  Aquia  creek  could  be  seen  the  insignificant 
earthworks  that  had  covered  the  few  field  pieces  which 
for  so  many  months  had  kept  up  an  efficient  blockade  of 
the  Potomac. 

How  different  was  all  this  from  our  Hudson!  The 
country  bordering  on  the  river  is  beautiful;  nature  has 
4 


26  OX   THE   POTOMAC. 

done  everything  for  it,  but  a  cursed  institution  has  blighted 
it.  There  is  not  a  country  in  the  world  where  nature  has 
been  more  lavish  with  its  blessings,  and  yet  it  is  forsaken, 
worn  out,  almost  a  wilderness.  The  magnificent  rivers 
and  unsurpassed  harbors  of  Virginia,  its  natural  fertility 
and  the  mildness  of  its  climate,  present  natural  advantages 
scarcely  equaled  by  any  country.  As  we  stood  upon  the 
deck  of  the  steamer,  watching  and  admiring  the  ever-vary 
ing  beauties  of  the  noble  stream,  some  one  repeated  these 
lines  from  Barlow's  Columbiad  : 

"Thy  capes,  Virginia,  towering  from  the  tide, 
Raise  their  blue  banks,  and  slope  thy  barriers  wide, 
To  future  sails  unfold  a  fluvian  way, 
And  guard  secure  thy  multifluvian  bay, 
That  drains  uncounted  realms  and  here  unites 
The  liquid  mass  from  Alleganian  hights. 
York  leads  his  way  embanked  in  flowery  pride, 
And  noble  James  falls  winding  by  his  side ; 
Back  to  the  hills,  through  many  a  silent  vale, 
Wild  Rappahannock  seems  to  lure  the  sail ; 
Patapsco's  bosom  courts  the  hand  of  toil ; 
Dull  Susquehanna  laves  a  length  of  soil ; 
But  mightier  far,  in  sea-like  azure  spread, 
Potowmac  sweeps  his  earth  disparting  bed." 

At  night  we  were  on  the  broad  Chesapeake.  A  stiff 
breeze  set  our  fleet  rocking,  but  we  slept  quietly,  leaving 
the  waves  to  take  care  of  themselves  and  the  pilots  to 
take  care  of  the  boats  Reveille  awoke  us  in  the  morning 
to  discover  on  the  one  side  of  us  the  world-renowned 
Fortress  Monroe  and  on  the  other  the  equally  famous 
Monitor.  At  our  bow  lay  the  village  of  Hampton  —  or 
rather  the  chimneys  and  trees  of  what  had  been  Hampton. 
Orders  came  for  us  to  disembark  here,  and  we  were  soon 
among  the  debris  of  the  town.  A  sadder  commentary  on 
war  could  hardly  be  found  than  the  ruins  of  this  beautiful 
village.  A  forest  of  shade  trees  and  chimneys  marked  the 
place  where  a  few  months  before  had  stood  one  of  the  most 
ancient  villages  in  America.  Hyacinths  and  daffodils, 


HAMPTON.  27 

peach  trees  and  roses,  were  in  bloom  in  the  deserted  and 
fenceless  gardens  ;  and  the  dark  green  leaves  of  the 
japonica  and  laurel  covered  many  a  heap  of  unsightly 
rubbish. 

The  walls  of  the  old  church,  the  most  ancient  in  the 
State,  stood  like  silent  witnesses  against  the  reckless 
spirit  of  destruction  of  the  rebels.  Although  not  large,  the 
church  had  evidently  been  a  fine  old  structure,  having 
the  form  of  a  Greek  cross.  About  it  were  the  graves  of  the 
forefathers  of  the  village,  reposing  under  the  shadow  of 
those  old  trees.  Many  of  the  tablets  were  ancient,  dating 
back  as  far  as  1706. 


THE  OLD  CHURCH  AT  HAMPTON. 

The  whole  army  was  pouring  out  upon  this  shore,  and 
at  Fortress  Monroe.  Dense  masses  of  infantry,  long 
trains  of  artillery  and  thousands  of  cavalry,  with  unnum 
bered  army  wagons  and  mules,  were  mingled  in  grand 
confusion  along  the  shore ;  the  neighing  of  horses,  the 
braying  of  mules,  the  rattle  of  wagons  and  artillery,  and 


28  A   NIGHT   VISIT   TO   FORTRESS    MONROE. 

the  sound  of  many  voices,  mingled  in  one  grand  inhar 
monious  concert. 

Our  division  marched  along  a  pleasant  route  to  a  field 
about  midway  between  Fortress  Monroe  and  Newport 
News.  We  rested  until  March  26th,  when  an  order  came 
at  midnight  for  the  army  to  march  very  early  in  the  morn 
ing.  We  were  short  of  some  medical  stores  and  quarter 
masters'  supplies,  and  officers  at  once  mounted  their  horses 
to  ride  through  the  thick  darkness  to  Fortress  Monroe,  to 
procure  the  needed  articles.  Along  the  road  men  were 
already  cooking  their  breakfasts,  and  artillery  was  hurry 
ing  towards  Newport  News.  At  short  intervals  along 
the  road,  sentinels  were  posted ;  and  as  the  sounds  of  the 
horses'  hoofs  were  heard,  the  sharp  command  rung  out 
through  the  darkness,  "  Halt !  who  comes  there  ?"  and  the 
galloping  horses  would  suddenly  halt  at  long  distance  from 
the  sentry. 

"  Friends  with  the  countersign." 

"Dismount  and  advance  one;  and  give  the  counter 
sign." 

One  of  the  parties,  leaving  his  horse  with  the  other, 
would  advance  and  give  the  required  word,  and  on  we 
rode  again  until  suddenly  halted  by  a  similar  warning. 
As  we  approached  the  fortress,  the  sentinels  were  more 
frequent,  until,  as  we  came  within  half  a  mile  of  our  desti 
nation,  the  guards  were  posted  so  frequently  that  we  had 
hardly  passed  one,  before  the  sharp  command  to  "  Halt !" 
was  heard  again.  We  crossed  the  drawbridge,  and  at 
length  found  ourselves  in  the  little  village  in  rear  of  the 
fort.  Passing  here  many  sentinels  who  examined  us  very 
carefully,  we  reached  the  door  of  the  citadel.  Here  we 
wrere  halted  by  a  sentinel,  and  each  examined  for  the 
countersign.  The  sentinel  called  the  corporal  of  the  guard ; 
who  after  satisfying  himself  that  we  were  Union  officers 
shouted  to  the  sergeant.  The  great  iron  door  ground 


THE  ADVANCE.  29 

upon  its  massive  hinges  as  it  swung  open  just  far  enough 
to  permit  the  sergeant  to  squeeze  through,  and  again  it 
was  closed,  and  the  heavy  bolts  rung  as  they  flew  back  to 
their  places.  The  sergeant,  after  asking  a  few  questions, 
went  back  into  the  fort,  and  soon  returned  with  the  officer 
of  the  guard,  who,  after  receiving  the  countersign,  ques 
tioned  us  closely  as  to  our  business,  and  who  we  were. 
Satisfied,  at  length  he  ordered  a  soldier  to  take  our  horses, 
the  heavy  door  slowly  opened,  and  we  were  admitted 
within  the  walls.  Such  were  the  precautions  in  admitting 
strangers  to  the  stronghold. 

At  six  o'clock  the  division  was  in  line  and  on  the  road. 
The  morning  was  indescribably  beautiful.  The  vapors 
that  rose  from  the  broad  expanse  of  waters  were  tinged 
with  a  thousand  gorgeous  hues  as  they  rolled  away,  dis 
persed  by  the  morning  sun ;  and  the  tall  yellow  pines 
were  crowned  with  rich  golden  coronals  of  light.  The 
road  was  perfectly  level  and  dry,  and  the  country  delight 
ful.  Long  rows  of  locusts  and  pines  lined  the  sides  of  the 
road,  and  the  rich  groves  of  oak  just  sending  forth  their 
foliage,  were  beautifully  interspersed  with  the  holly,  with 
its  bright  red  berries  and  rich  evergreen  leaves.  Peach 
orchards  in  full  bloom  added  to  the  beauty  of  the  scene, 
and  when  at  times  we  could  see  the  lines  of  troops,  two  and 
three  miles  in  extent,  their  muskets  glittering  in  the  bright 
sunlight,  the  enthusiasm  of  the  men  was  unbounded. 

All  the  bridges  over  the  route  had  been  destroyed  by 
the  enemy,  but  pioneers  advanced  at  the  head  of  the 
column,  and  as  the  bridges  were  all  small  they  were 
quickly  repaired.  A  march  of  a  few  miles  brought  us  in 
sight  of  the  James  river;  a  noble  stream,  at  least  five 
miles  wide  at  this  point.  Not  far  from  the  shore  appeared 
the  masts  of  the  U.  S.  frigate  Cumberland,  sunk  in  the 
memorable  fight  with  the  Merrimac.  As  our  march  led 
us  along  the  banks,  the  views  were  charming.  On  one 


30  A    SIFTING. 

hand  was  the  noble  river,  and  on  the  other  the  orchards 
and  groves.  Deserted  houses,  and  gardens  blooming  with 
hyacinths  and  other  blossoms  of  early  spring,  were  passed. 
On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  lay  a  rebel  gunboat, 
watching  our  movements. 

Our  division,  Smith's,  had  taken  the  lead  on  the  James 
river  road,  while  Porter's  division  had  marched  upon  Great 
Bethel.  After  a  march  of  fifteen  miles,  our  division  was 
drawn  up  in  line  of  battle  near  Warwick.  Porter's  division 
had  already  reached  Great  Bethel,  on  our  right,  and  we 
could  see  huge  columns  of  smoke  rising  in  that  direction, 
and  hear  the  roar  of  artillery.  An  aid  dashed  up  and 
informed  General  Davidson  that  the  enemy  were  in  line  of 
battle  ready  to  receive  us.  Soon  the  order  came  to  advance  ; 
the  line  swept  onward  through  the  woods  and  over  a 
cleared  field,  but  found  no  foe.  A  few  cavalry  pickets 
only  were  seen,  and  a  shell  from  one  of  our  Parrott  guns  set 
them  flying  towards  Yorktown.  We  passed  through  the 
confederate  encampments  where  their  fires  were  still  blaz 
ing,  but  soon  turned  round  and  bivouacked  on  ground  last 
night  occupied  by  rebels. 

In  this  advance  or  reconnoissance  of  the  whole  army, 
the  qualities  of  the  individual  soldiers  composing  it 
were  brought  out  in  bold  relief.  The  effect  on  our  own 
division  was  marked.  During  the  months  we  had  been 
in  winter  quarters,  many  officers  and  men  had  established 
marvelous  reputations  for  bravery  and  hardihood,  merely 
by  constantly  heralding  their  own  heroism.  But  from 
this  time  these  doughty  heroes  went  back.  Officers  sud 
denly  found  cause  for  resigning ;  and  enlisted  men  managed 
to  get  sent  to  the  rear,  and  never  showed  their  faces  at  the 
front  again.  On  the  contrary,  some  who  were  really 
invalids  insisted  on  dragging  themselves  along  with  the 
column,  fearful  that  ari  engagement  might  take  place  in 
which  they  would  not  participate.  A  sifting  process  was 


A    QUAKER. 


31 


thus  commenced  throughout  the  whole  division,  and  to 
its  honor  the  poltroons  were  very  soon  sifted  out,  and  from 
that  time  forth,  Smith's  division  never  afforded  a  comfort 
able  resting  place  for  men  of  doubtful  courage.  "They 
went  out  from  us,  because  they  were  not  of  us." 

Next  morning  we  retired  over  the  road  upon  which  we 
had  advanced,  and  encamped  near  Newport  News.  As 
we  passed  this  place  on  our  outward  march,  we  saw  at  a 
distance  what  appeared  to  be  a  heavy  gun,  but  as  we 
approached  it  proved  to  be  a  large  cart,  on  which  was 
mounted  a  great  wooden  mortar,  which  had,  perhaps, 
been  used  by  negroes  for  cracking  corn.  When  we  returned 
a  hog's  head  was  fixed  in  the  mouth  of  the  mortar. 
"  There,"  remarked  an  officer,  "  is  the  first  Quaker  we  have 
seen  on  the  Peninsula."  "  You  must  sketch  it,"  said  the 
colonel  of  the  Seventy-seventh,  and  the  officer  obeyed. 


THE  QUAKER  AT  NEWPORT  NEWS. 

The  division  encamped  upon  a  low  plain  covered  with 
sedges  and  reeds,  a  good  enough  encampment  while  the 


32  AT   NEWPOKT   NEWS. 

dry  weather  lasted,  but  when  the  rain  came  in  floods  two 
nights  after  we  pitched  our  tents  here,  the  whole  division 
was  inundated,  and  we  moved  to  higher  and  better 
ground. 

The  masts  of  the  Cumberland  greeted  our  eyes  whenever 
we  turned  toward  the  river,  and  the  rebel  gunboats  made 
short  excursions  toward  our  side  of  the  stream.  One  day 
large  numbers  of  men,  mostly  from  the  Vermont  brigade, 
were  on  the  shoals  of  the  river  bathing  and  gathering 
oysters.  The  gunboat  Teazer  discovering  them,  steamed 
down  toward  them,  and  threw  some  heavy  shells,  shriek 
ing  and  cracking  among  them,  causing  great  consternation 
among  the  bathers,  and  some  confusion  and  much  amuse 
ment  on  shore. 


CHAPTER  V. 

YORKTOWN. 

The  advance  to  Yorktown  —  A  thunder  storm  — "Reliable  contrabands"— Facing 
the  enemy— A  strong  position— The  Union  line  — A  rebel  welcome  —  Digging  — 
On  picket— A  dreary  country  —  An  enterprising  planter  —  Active  work  —  Battle 
of  Lee's  Mills  — Charge  of  the  Vermont  brigade  —  Progress  of  the  siege  —  Ravages 
of  disease  — A  front  seat  — Short  supplies  — The  rebels  withdraw  — Entering  the 
strongholds  —  Infernal  machines  —  March  to  Williamsburgh  —  Victims  of  disease. 

AT  length,  on  the  4th  of  April,  the  army  was  put  in 
motion  for  Yorktown.  The  General-in-Chief  had  arrived 
at  Fortress  Monroe  the  evening  before,  and  at  once  the 
army  became  the  scene  of  prodigious  activity.  Keyes' 
corps,  our  own  division  in  advance,  took  the  road  along 
the  banks  of  the  James  river.  The  rest  of  the  army, 
headed  by  Porter's  division,  advanced  on  the  more  direct 
road  to  Yorktown,  through  Great  Bethel,  accompanied  by 
General  McClellan. 

The  day  being  clear  and  warm,  the  men  soon  began  to 
realize  the  difficulty  of  transporting  large  amounts  of 
clothing  and  camp  equipage  on  their  shoulders,  and  the 
roadsides  were  strewn  with  blankets  and  overcoats,  dress 
coats  and  pants.  The  bushes  and  trees  for  miles  along  the 
route  were  thickly  hung  with  articles  of  clothing,  mostly 
new,  and  all  good.  Soldiers  who  had  put  on  their  march 
ing  suit  would  fall  out  of  the  ranks,  the  knapsack  would 
quickly  disgorge  a  new  coat  and  pants,  the  wearers 
would  as  quickly  divest  themselves  of  the  soiled  garments 
and  replace  them  with  the  new  ones,  the  others  being  left 
on  the  ground.  Whenever  a  halt  was  ordered  this  shift 
ing  process  became  general. 
5 


34  ADVANCE   TO    YOKKTOWN. 

The  roads,  which  at  first  were  dry  and  firm,  were  as  we 
advanced  badly  cut  up,  and  great  difficulty  was  experi 
enced  in  getting  the  trains  along. 

An  advance  of  ten  miles  brought  us  in  front  of  Young's 
Mills,  a  strongly  fortified  position  five  or  six  miles  from 
Yorktown.  The  corps  was  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle 
and  cavalry  sent  to  reconnoiter  the  position.  The  works 
were  deserted,  but  camp  fires  still  blazed  in  them.  Here 
we  rested  for  the  night.  At  daylight  next  morning  the 
advance  was  renewed.  The  roads  were  even  worse  than 
the  day  before.  Infantry  could  get  along  well  enough, 
but  artillery  and  army  wagons  had  a  hard  time  of  it. 
Each  piece  of  artillery  made  the  road  worse,  until  the 
axles  dragged  in  a  river  of  mud.  We  passed  the  little 
village  of  Warwick  Court  House.  There  were  here  a 
little  brick  court  house,  a  jail  and  a  clerk's  office  seven 
feet  by  ten,  a  store  and  a  tavern.  There  were  also*  two 
small  dwelling  houses. 

After  a  march  of  three  miles  the  division  was  drawn 
up  in  line  of  battle.  We  had  reached  the  hostile  works 
before  the  rest  of  the  army.  Skirmishers  were  sent  to  the 
front  and  we  advanced  slowly  and  cautiously  through 
the  woods.  A  terrific  thunder  storm  burst  upon  us  and  the 
roar  of  the  heavenly  artillery  seemed  to  mock  any  efforts 
at  martial  grandeur.  Seldom,  if  ever,  had  we  of  the 
northern  states  witnessed  such  an  exhibition  of  sublimity 
and  terrible  magnificence  of  the  workings  of  the  elements. 
The  vivid  lightning  and  terrific  peals  of  thunder  seemed 
to  the  men  the  presage  of  deadly  work  to  come.  The 
advance  was  very  difficult,  the  woods  being  marshy  and 
filled  with  tangles  and  briars.  The  men  were  scratched 
and  bleeding.  The  long  line  of  battle  presently  emerged 
from  the  woods  and  occupied  a  clearing,  in  the  center  of 
which  was  a  mansion,  the  late  residence  of  a  rebel  officer. 
Some  scouts  brought  from  the  house  a  couple  of  negresses 


35 

whom  they  led  to  General  Keyes.  They  communicated 
their  information  with  an  earnestness  that  proved  their 
sympathies  were  not  with  their  late  master.  It  was  a 
picturesque  scene;  those  tall  negresses  with  their  bright 
red  turbans  and  long  white  woolen  gowns,  telling  with 
earnest  gestures  what  they  knew  of  the  position  of  the 
enemy,  while  the  generals  and  their  staffs  listened  eagerly 
to  their  words.  They  said  that  when  we  passed  over  the 
little  hill  just  in  front,  we  should  be  under  fire  from 
the  batteries  of  the  rebels,  who  were  in  large  force ;  "  but 
laws  a  massa,  noting  like  all  dese  yer,"  said  they,  pointing 
to  the  troops  of  our  division. 

Cautiously  the  clearing  was  crossed,  the  long  line  of 
battle  moving  in  beautiful  order  —  Kennedy's,  Ayres'  and 
Wheeler's  batteries  each  accompanying  a  brigade. 

Again  we  entered  a  heavy  pine  wood  in  which  the 
swamp  was  deeper  than  ever,  and  advancing  through  it 
we  came  face  to  face  with  the  enemy.  Warwick  creek,  a 
marshy  stream  which  had  been  dammed  by  the  rebels, 
raising  its  waters  into  ponds  and  deep  morasses,  was  be 
tween  us  and  their  works,  and  the  accessible  points  were 
guarded  by  artillery.  Two  regiments  were  at  once 
deployed  as  skirmishers  and  sent  in  advance,  and  our 
batteries  were  planted  along  the  edge  of  the  wood  with 
the  line  of  the  infantry.  Only  Smith's  division  was  in 
line,  the  others  were  waiting  on  the  road  for  orders  to 
come  up. 

Along  the  road,  for  more  than  half  the  distance  back  to 
Young's  Mills,  the  brigades  of  Couch's  and  Kearney's 
divisions  were  resting  on  their  arms,  while  cannon  by 
scores  waited  to  be  called  into  action. 

The  enemy  was  not  slow  to  acknowledge  our  presence, 
and  as  a  token  of  greeting  sent  some  twelve-pound  shells 
crashing  among  the  trees  about  us.  The  firing  now  be 
came  brisk  on  our  side,  and  the  rebels  replied  spiritedly 


36  A   STEOXG    POSITION. 

with  their  twelve-pounders.  Hundreds  of  men  were  now 
called  up  from  the  rear  brigades  and  detailed  to  build 
corduroy  roads.  Trees  were  cut  down  and  trimmed  of 
their  branches,  and  laid  side  by  side  so  as  to  form  a  kind 
of  bridge  over  the  swamp  to  enable  more  artillery  to  come 
up.  The  rapidity  with  which  such  roads  were  built  was 
marvelous. 

By  this  time  the  column  on  the  right  had  reached  the 
works  in  front  of  the  town.  The  position  here  was  also 
strong.  Although  the  Warwick  did  not  interpose,  yet 
high  bluffs,  crowned  with  redoubts  in  which  were  mounted 
heavy  guns,  frowned  upon  the  assailants.  Thus  far  it 
appears  that  the  leaders  of  our  army  had  been  totally 
ignorant  of  the  position  and  strength  of  the  enemy,  and 
had  led  it  up  to  the  works,  blindly  feeling  the  way  with 
out  maps  or  guides.*  The  defensive  works  were  now 
found  to  consist  of  a  series  of  redoubts  and  rifle  pits 
stretching  across  the  Peninsula,  seven  miles  in  extent, 
with  high  bluffs  on  the  right  and  Warwick  creek  in  their 
front  on  the  left. 

The  position  occupied  by  our  division  was  known  as 
Lee's  Mills,  and  to  our  right,  nearly  three  miles,  was  the 
village  of  Yorktown.  The  line  of  battle  was  now  arranged 
in  the  following  order  from  right  to  left :  Heintzelman's 
corps,  consisting  of  Porter's,  Hooker's  and  Hamilton's 
divisions,  were  in  front  of  the  town;  Sedg wick's  division 
of  Sumner's  corps  on  the  left  of  them,  and  Keyes'  corps, 
comprising  Smith's  and  Couch's  division  (Casey's  division 
arrived  in  a  few  days),  held  the  position  on  the  Warwick 
at  Lee's  Mills. 

The  position  of  the  enemy  was,  without  doubt,  one  of 
great  strength,  and  everything  had  been  done  to  render 
it  more  formidable.  Yet  they  were  by  no  means  too 

*  McClellan's  Keport. 


THE    FIRST    BATTLE    OX    THE    PENINSULA.  37 

strong  or  sufficiently  well  garrisoned  to  resist  an  assault 
from  such  a  body  of  men  as  now  appeared  in  their  front. 
That  there  were  weak  points  in  this  line  of  defenses, 
stretching  seven  miles,  was  afterwards  demonstrated;  and 
that  the  forces  behind  the  works  were  by  no  means  suffici 
ently  numerous,  at  the  time  of  our  approach,  to  afford 
formidable  resistance  at  all  points  in  their  extensive  line, 
is  now  well  known. 

It  appears  from  the  official  report  of  the  rebel  General 
Johnston,  who  then  commanded  all  the  rebel  forces  in  Vir 
ginia,  that  at  the  time  of  the  appearance  of  our  army 
before  Yorktown  the  works  were  defended  by  only  about 
eleven  thousand  men,  and  that  even  after  he  had  reinforced 
the  garrisons  by  the  troops  which  he  was  hurrying  from 
Manassas,  his  army  amounted  to  only  fifty  thousand 
men. 

The  artillery  duel  was  kept  up  until  night.  We  had  lost 
some  men  during  the  day,  but  not  so  many  as  we  had 
feared.  First  a  poor  fellow  from  the  Seventh  Maine,  his 
heart  and  left  lung  torn  out  by  a  shell ;  then  one  from  the 
Forty-ninth  New  York,  shot  in  the  head;  the  next  was 
from  our  own  regiment,  Frank  Jeffords,  who  had  to  suffer 
amputation  of  a  leg ;  then  a  man  from  the  Forty-ninth 
was  sent  to  the  rear  with  his  heel  crushed.  In  all,  our  loss 
did  not  exceed  twenty  men.  The  casualties  in  the  other 
brigades  were  less  than  in  our  own. 

As  night  approached,  the  firing  gradually  ceased,  and 
nothing  but  the  scattering  shots  of  the  skirmishers  was 
heard.  We  lay  down  in  the  swamp  with  no  tents,  and 
many  of  us  without  food.  Officers  and  men  built  plat 
forms  of  logs  and  bark  to  keep  out  of  the  water  where 
they  were  not  fortunate  enough  to  find  a  dry  place. 
General  Smith  bivouacked  near  the  line  of  battle,  m akin  % 
his  bed  at  the  foot  of  a  pine  tree,  with  nothing  but  his 
overcoat  for  shelter.  It  may  not  be  amiss  to  say  here 


38  DIGGING  —  ON   PICKET. 

that  General  Smith,  unlike  most  gentlemen  with  stars  on 
their  shoulders,  was  always  in  the  habit  of  sleeping  at  the 
very  front. 

All  the  following  day,  and  the  next,  the  firing  was  kept 
up  steadily  on  both  sides.  At  night  showers  of  cannister 
and  grape  would  fall  in  our  camp,  and  fortunate  was  he 
who  had  a  good  tree  or  stump  between  him  and  the  rebel 
works  against  which  to  lay  his  head  while  he  slept. 

We  at  length  became  so  accustomed  to  the  continual 
skirmishing,  that  unless  the  firing  was  in  fierce  volleys  we 
took  no  notice  of  it.  The  boys  of  the  Thirty-third  New 
York  being  on  the  skirmish  line  on  the  8th,  charged  a  rifle 
pit  with  shouts  and  hurrahs,  and  drove  the  rebels  from  it. 
An  attempt  was  made  to  retake  it,  but  the  boys  held  their 
ground. 

The  men  performed  herculean  labors  on  the  roads, 
and  in  throwing  up  earthworks.  No  rest  was  allowed. 
When  not  on  picket  they  were  cutting  down  trees  or 
throwing  up  earthworks  or  building  bridges.  Such  con 
stant  labor  soon  began  to  exhaust  the  strength  of  the 
stoutest,  and  hundreds  of  them  yielded  to  disease  who 
supposed  themselves  capable  of  enduring  any  amount  of 
hardships.  Yet  there  was  now  and  then  a  grimly  gay 
episode  in  this  hard  routine.  Here  is  an  incident  that 
occurred  two  or  three  days  after  we  approached  the  works, 
and  affords  a  good  sample  of  picketing  between  us  and 
the  forts.  Our  pickets  were  within  speaking  distance  of 
those  of  the  enemy ;  each  party  kept,  if  possible,  snugly 
behind  some  big  stump  or  tree,  out  of  the  reach  of  his  dis 
agreeable  neighbors.  A  good  deal  of  hard  talk  had  passed 
between  one  of  our  pickets  and  one  of  the  "Johnnies." 
Finally  the  rebel  thurst  his  hand  beyond  his  tree  holding 
in  it  a  bottle,  and  shaking  it,  challenged  the  Yankee  to 
come  and  take  it — "crack"  went  the  Yankee's  rifle  at  the 
hand.  "  Ha,  ha !  why  don't  you  hit  it  ?  What  do  you 


A    DEE ART    COUNTRY.  39 

think  of  Bull  Run  ?"     "  How  do  you  like  Fort  Donelson  ?" 
responded  the  Yankee. 

While  this  colloquy  was  going  on,  Yankee  number  two 
crept  round  behind  a  log,  and  drawing  on  the  southerner, 
blazed  away  at  him.  The  son  of  chivalry  clapped  his 
hand  to  his  shoulder  and  ran  off  howling.  "There,  you 
fool,"  shouted  Yankee  number  one,  "  I  told  you  that  blind 
man  would  be  shooting  you  pretty  soon." 

The  country  about  us  was  uncultivated  and  unhealthy. 
The  lands  were  low  and  swampy,  and  mostly  covered  with 
a  heavy  growth  of  yellow  pines.  The  few  remaining 
inhabitants  were  mostly  women,  negresses  and  children ; 
now  and  then  a  disabled  specimen  of  poor  white  trash,  or 
a  farmer  too  infirm  to  be  of  service  in  the  rebel  army,  was 
to  be  met  with.  All  were  alike  destitute  of  enterprise, 
and  the  houses  upon  the  "plantations"  were  of  the  mean 
est  order,  raised  three  or  four  feet  above  the  ground  upon 
posts  without  the  usual  foundation  of  stone.  The  "  plan 
tations  "  consisted  usually  of  about  ten  or  twenty  acres 
of  cleared  land  in  the  midst  of  the  forest,  with  narrow 
roads  among  the  pines  leading  to  neighboring  plantations. 

The  writer  inquired  of  the  proprietor  of  one  of  these 
isolated  spots,  who  also  had  some  forty  negro  women  and 
children,  how  he  managed  to  support  so  large  a  family 
from  the  proceeds  of  so  little  land.  "  Well,"  said  he,  "  I 
could  not  support  them  from  the  proceeds  of  the  land 
alone,  but  you  see  I  sell  a  few  negroes  every  year  and  buy 
corn  with  the  money;  so  with  what  we  raise  and  what  we 
get  for  the  sale  of  the  negroes,  we  get  along  very  well." 

"  But  why  do  you  not  cut  down  some  of  this  forest  and 
till  more  land  ?  You  own  a  large  tract  of  land  which  is 
entirely  worthless  as  it  now  is." 

"There  is  where  you  are  greatly  mistaken,  said  the 
enterprising  southerner,  my  timber  land  is  my  best  prop- 
ertv." 


40  BATTLE    OF   LEE'S   MILLS. 

But  of  what  use  do  you  make  it  ?  "  Oh,  I  sell  a  great 
deal  of  wood.  I  take  it  to  Fortress  Monroe  and  Hampton 
and  get  two  dollars  and  a  half  a  cord  for  it !" 

The  reader  will  perhaps  understand  the  profits  drawn 
from  the  wood  lands,  when  it  is  remembered  that  Fortress 
Monroe  was  twenty  miles  distant. 

Night  attacks  by  the  enemy  became  common ;  and  it 
was  not  an  unfrequent  occurrence  for  the  whole  division 
to  be  called  suddenly  to  arms  at  midnight  and  stand  in 
line  until  morning.  Skirmishes  and  sharpshooting  con 
tinued  with  little  intermission;  bullets  of  rebel  riflemen 
whizzing  through  our  camps  or  unceremoniously  entering 
our  tents  at  all  times.  Rebel  gunboats  approached  the 
mouth  of  the  Warwick  and  by  their  assistance  the  rebel 
infantry  attempted  to  turn  our  left  flank,  but  the  troops 
of  our  division  gallantly  met  their  attack  and  drove  them 
back. 

This  state  of  affairs  continued  until  the  16th  of  April. 
That  morning,  word  passed  through  the  division  that 
we  were  to  make  an  assault.  Orders  came  to  move,  and 
the  division  was  massed  near  some  ruins,  known  as  "  The 
Chimneys,"  in  front  of  one  of  the  rebel  forts ;  the  Second 
brigade  holding  the  front  line,  supported  by  the  First  and 
Third  brigades.  As  we  moved  round  to  take  our  posi 
tions,  an  American  eagle  whirled  above  our  heads  in 
elegant  circles  and  at  length  floated  away  toward  the 
south,  the  boys  swinging  their  hats  and  cheering  the  bird 
with  loud  huzzahs. 

The  fort  in  our  front  covered  the  road  from  Newport 
News  to  Williamsburgh,  and  could  we  get  possession 
of  it  we  could  turn  the  flanks  of  the  enemy,  obliging 
him  to  abandon  his  position  and  enabling  us  either  to 
prevent  his  escape  or  to  harass  him  in  his  flight.  In. 
front  of  the  fort  the  creek  had  been  dammed  and  a  deep 
morass  interposed  between  us  and  the  works.  General 


CHARGE    OF   THE   VERMONT   BRIGADE.  41 

McClellan  and  his  immense  suite  rode  to  the  point  from 
which  the  attack  was  to  be  made,  and  communicating  a 
few  minutes  with  Generals  Keyes  and  Smith,  left  the  field. 
Mott's  battery  was  now  brought  into  position  on  the  open 
plateau  and  opened  a  fierce  cannonade,  to.  which  the  rebels 
replied  with  spirit,  dismounting  one  of  our  guns  and  killing 
several  of  the  gunners  at  the  very  start.  Mott  was  rein 
forced  by  Kennedy's  and  Wheeler's  batteries,  and  the 
hostile  guns  were  soon  silenced.  Our  batteries  then 
advanced  within  five  hundred  yards  of  the  fort,  and  the 
gray-coated  rebels  who  were  seen  to  fill  the  woods,  were 
soon  dispersed.  Two  companies  of  troops,  from  the  Third 
Vermont,  were  now  ordered  forward.  Down  from  the 
woods  they  came,  rushed  into  the  water  to  their  waists, 
and  gallantly  made  for  the  rebel  rifle  pits.  The  first  line 
of  the  works  was  gained  and  then  the  second.  The  fort 
was  empty,  but  a  ditch  to  their  left  was  filled  with  men. 
They  poured  a  volley  among  them  and  the  gray  coats  fled. 
Thus  the  fort  was  actually  in  their  possession,  and  Avas 
held  for  some  minutes  by  the  noble  fellows,  but  when  they 
looked  for  support,  none  came.  The  three  brigades  stood 
upon  the  opposite  bank,  ready  to  plunge  through  the 
stream,  and  waiting  with  intense  anxiety  for  the  order, 
"  forward ;"  but  no  order  came,  and  the  brave  Green  Moun 
tain  boys  who  had  so  nobly  performed  their  part  of  the 
work,  were  forced  to  fall  back  under  a  galling  fire  from 
the  rebels,  who  rushed  back  to  their  pits  as  soon  the  "Ver- 
monters  had  left  them,  pouring  volley  after  volley  into  the 
retreating  forces,  who,  their  ammunition  spent,  could  not 
reply  to  the  rebel  fire.  Before  they  were  able  to  reach  the 
shelter  of  the  woods,  sad  havoc  was  made  in  their  ranks. 
Skirmishing  was  kept  up  for  some  hours,  by  other  regi 
ments,  but  with  no  result  except  the  loss  of  men. 

The  following  list  of  killed  and  wounded  was  obtained 
the  next  day  after  the  battle : 

G 


42  BATTLE    OF   LEE7S   MILLS. 

2d    Vermont —    1  killed. 

3d    Vermont  —  24  killed,  7  mortally  wounded,  56  wounded, 

1  missing. 

4th  Vermont—-    3  killed,  30  wounded. 
5th  Vermont —   2  killed,  6  wounded. 
6th  Vermont  — 11  killed,  77  wounded. 

Total  loss  to  the  brigade,  218. 

Thus  ended  the  fight  known  as  the  "Battle  of  Lee's 
Mills,"  a  battle  in  which  two  hundred  men  gallantly  cap 
tured  an  important  work  of  the  enemy,  and  thousands  of 
their  companions  burning  with  desire  to  share  in  their 
glory  stood  by  and  saw  them  abandon  it !  Why  the 
other  brigades  were  not  ordered  forward  has  never  been 
explained  satisfactorily.  That  General  Smith  would  gladly 
have  sent  them  forward  we  earnestly  believe ;  but  we  now 
know  that  General  McCIcllan  desired  that  a  general 
engagement  should  not  be  brought  on  at  that  time. 

The  wounded  men  exhibited  the  same  bravery,  while  their 
wounds  were  beino:  cared  for.  that  characterized  their  bril- 

O 

liant  charge.  Men  badly  mutilated,  with  bullets  in  their 
heads,  or 'breasts,  or  limbs,  refused  to  receive  attention 
from  the  surgeon  who  dressed  their  wounds,  until  their 
more  unfortunate  companions  were  cared  for.  "  Don't 
mind  me,  doctor,  there  are  others  hurt  worse  than  I  am," 
said  many  a  brave  fellow,  as  he  lay  upon  the  ground 
bleeding  from  his  wounds. 

The  following  incident  connected  with  this  noble  charge 
will  be  remembered  by  all  who  were  at  that  time  members 
of  Smith's  division,  and  by  hundreds  who  saw  accounts 
of  it  in  the  newspapers  of  the  day  : 

Private  William  Scott,  of  Company  K,  Third  Vermont, 
was,  in  the  autumn  of  1861,  found  asleep  at  his  post  on 
the  picket  line.  It  was  a  grave  fault;  but  the  weary 
soldier,  inexperienced  in  the  service,  and  unaccustomed  to 
such  night  vigils,  in  an  evil  hour  yielded  to  the  demands 


THE    SLEEPING   SENTINEL.  43 

of  tired  nature,  little  thinking  that  the  lives  of  hundreds 
of  his  comrades  were  periled  by  his  unfaithfulness.  He 
was  tried  by  a  court-martial  and  sentenced  to  be  shot. 
The  sentence  was  approved,  and  at  the  appointed  time  he 
was  brought  forth  to  execution.  General  Smith,  desiring 
to  impress  upon  the  minds  of  his  men  the  terrible  conse 
quences  of  such  an  offense,  formed  his  troops  in  line. 
The  culprit  was  brought  out  before  them,  and  led  to  the 
place  of  execution.  The  guard,  with  loaded  muskets, 
stood  ready  to  execute  the  dreadful  sentence,  which  was 
read  before  all  the  troops.  All  waited  in  breathless 
expectation  for  the  order  to  fire ;  but  instead  another 
paper  was  read.  It  was  a  pardon  from  the  President ! 
Then  the  wildest  shouts  of  joy  ran  along  the  line.  Shout 
after  shout  arose  from  the  division,  and  hundreds  blessed 
the  name  of  President  Lincoln. 

There  were  many  circumstances  to  render  this  a  case 
of  peculiar  interest.  It  was  the  first  sentence  of  the  kind ; 
it  was  at  the  beginning  of  the  war,  when  a  soldier's  life 
was  regarded  of  value,  and  when  all  eyes  were  riveted 
upon  the  army,  and  every  incident  was  of  interest.  It  was 
also  the  first  instance  of  the  kind  in  which  the  executive 
clemency  had  been  exercised.  So  near  had  the  hour  of 
execution  arrived  when  the  President  signed  the  pardon, 
that,  fearing  it  might  not  be  received  in  season,  he  took 
his  carriage  and  drove  to  camp,  to  assure  himself  that 
the  man's  life  should  be  spared. 

"  I  will  show  President  Lincoln  that  I  am  not  afraid  to 
die  for  my  country,"  said  the  grateful  soldier ;  and  well 
did  he  fulfill  his  promise.  Among  the  bravest  of  those 
two  hundred  heroes  who  crossed  the  swamp  at  Lee's  Mills, 
was  William  Scott,  of  Company  K,  Third  Vermont.  But 
he  was  brought  back  a  corpse.  He  had  shown  the  Presi 
dent  that  he  was  not  afraid  to  die  for  his  country.  He 
was  one  of  the  foremost  in  the  charge,  and  one  of  the  first 


44  PROGRESS    OF   THE    SIEGE. 

to  fall.  His  comrades  made  his  grave  under  the  shadow 
of  the  tall  pines,  and  as  they  folded  his  blanket  around 
him,  and  lowered  him  to  his  resting  place,  tears  stood 
upon  those  brown  cheeks;  but  the  tears  of  sorrow  were 
mingled  with  tears  of  joy,  when  they  thought  of  his 
glorious  death,  and  his  narrow  escape  from  an  ignominious 
fate,  and  again,  in  their  hearts,  they  blessed  the  man  who 
was  always  the  soldier's  friend. 

We  resumed  our  place  the  next  day  after  the  battle,  on 
the  front  line,  and  commenced  digging. 

Fierce  night  sorties  were  again  made  by  the  enemy 
and  bravely  resisted  by  our  boys,  who  continued  the  work 
regardless  of  these  annoyances.  Only  one  fight  occurred 
on  our  part  of  the  line  after  the  16th,  in  which  we  lost 
any  number  of  men.  On  the  28th  the  First  brigade  had 
a  skirmish  in  which  we  lost  one  killed  and  half  a  dozen 
wounded.  Among  the  latter  was  Lieutenant,  afterward 
Colonel  Milliken,  of  the  Forty-third  New  York.  A  recon- 
noissance  on  the  left  about  the  same  time,  resulted  in  find 
ing  the  rebels  in  considerable  force,  and  a  loss  of  two 
good  soldiers  to  the  Seventy-seventh  Kew  York.  In  the 
meantime  earthworks  of  great  strength  were  being  thrown 
up  on  the  right  of  the  line  before  Yorktown,  and  every 
thing  was  being  put  in  a  complete  state  of  preparation 
for  the  grand  bombardment.  Enormous  siege  guns  of 
one  hundred  and  even  two  hundred  pound  calibre,  and 
immense  mortars  were  brought  up  and  mounted  in  the 
earthworks,  and  it  was  thought  that  with  the  powerful 
means  we  were  using  the  fall  of  Yorktown  was  only  a 
question  of  time. 

Our  losses  by  the  rebels  before  Yorktown  were  not  great, 
but  the  ravages  by  disease  were  fearful.  Many  thousands 
of  noble  fellows  who  would  gladly  have  braved  the 
dangers  of  the  battle-field,  were  carried  to  the  rear  with 
fevers  engendered  by  the  deadly  malaria  of  the  swamps, 


RAVAGES    OF   DISEASE  —  A   FRONT   SEAT.  45 

from  which  few  ever  recovered  sufficiently  to  rejoin  the 
ranks;  and  thousands  of  others  were  laid  in  humble  graves 
along  the  marshy  borders  of  the  Warwick  or  about  the 
hospitals  at  Young's  Mills.  For  a  month  the  men  were 
almost  continually  under  arms ;  often  called  in  the  middle 
of  the  night  to  resist  the  attempts  of  the  enemy  to  force 
our  line  under  cover  of  the  thick  darkness,  standing  in 
line  of  battle  day  after  day  and  digging  at  earthworks 
night  after  night. 

During  the  thirty  days  of  the  siege  we  had  twenty  days 
of  rain.  Thunder  storms  followed  each  other  in  quick 
succession,  with  lightnings  more  vivid  than  we  had  ever 
seen  at  the  north.  Men  lay  down  to  rest  at  night  with 
their  equipments  buckled  about  them  and  wet  to  their 
skins.  Men  unaccustomed  to  the  hardships  of  campaign 
ing  could  not  endure  such  exposure. 

A  few  divisions  of  the  army  performed  by  far  the  greater 
part  of  the  labor,  either  because  they  had  at  first  reached 
positions  which  imposed  greater  toil,  or  because  greater 
confidence  was  reposed  in  them.  Our  own  division  was 
one  of  those  upon  which  the  duties  imposed  were  too 
great  for  men  to  perform;  yet  the  men  would  have 
resented  being  sent  to  the  rear,  and  it  was  said  that 
General  Smith  remarked  that  "he  had  spoken  for  a  front 
seat  for  his  boys  and  he  intended  to  keep  it. 

Added  to  all  the  exposures  and  hardships  of  the  siege, 
there  was  a  deplorable  want  of  proper  commissary  and 
medical  supplies.  While  the  men  were  supplied  with  fair 
rations  of  hard  bread,  vegetables  were  unknown  among  us, 
and  the  supply  of  fresh  meat  wholly  inadequate.  In  the 
Medical  Department  the  greatest  difficulty  was  experienced 
in  obtaining  supplies,  and  indeed  it  was  impossible  to  get 
them.  Not  that  regimental  surgeons  did  not  use  their 
utmost  endeavor  to  procure  them,  but  as  brigade  and  regi 
mental  commissaries  could  not  obtain  supplies  of  food 


46  THE    REBELS   "WITHDRAW. 

which  were  not  furnished  to  the  army  at  all,  so  surgeons 
could  not  procure  medicines  and  other  necessaries  which 
were  locked  in  the  storehouses  in  Washington.  This  sub 
ject  will  be  more  fully  alluded  to  in  another  place,  and  it 
is  to  be  hoped  that  the  responsibility  of  this  criminal  neg 
ligence  to  supply  the  army  with  medical  and  hospital 
stores  may  fall  where  it  belongs. 

Thus,  with  their  minds  wrought  up  to  a  continual  state 
of  excitement,  with  constant  exposure  to  tempests  and 
malaria,  with  excessive  and  exhausting  labors,  and  with 
improper  food  and  scarcity  of  medicine,  sickness  and  death 
swept  over  us  like  a  pestilence. 

At  length,  after  a  month  of  toil  and  exposure  almost 
unprecedented,  after  losing  nearly  one-fifth  of  our  mag 
nificent  army  by  disease  and  death,  our  batteries  were 
finished,  the  enormous  siege  guns  were  mounted,  and  the 
thirteen  inch  mortars  in  position.  The  army  looked 
anxiously  for  the  grand  finale  of  all  these  extensive  pre 
parations.  Men  had  lost  the  enthusiasm  which  prevailed 
when  we  landed  upon  the  Peninsula,  and  a  smile  was  sel 
dom  seen ;  but  a  fixed  and  determined  purpose  to  succeed 
still  appeared  in  their  faces.  Now  at  length  we  were 
ready;  and  the  countenances  of  the  soldiers  began  to 
lighten  up  a  little.  But  as  the  sun  rose  on  the  morning 
of  the  4th  of  May,  behold,  the  rebels  had  vanished,  and 
with  them  our  hopes  of  a  brilliant  victory !  Unfortun 
ately  for  our  hopes  of  a  great  success  at  Yorktown,  the 
rebel  generals  had  shown  themselves  unwilling  to  afford 
us  such  an  opportunity  by  waiting  for  us  longer;  and 
during  the  night  of  the  3d  and  4th  they  had  evacuated 
the  place. 

They  had  gained  a  month  of  time  for  strengthening  the 
defenses  about  Richmond,  and  for  concentrating  their 
forces  there.  Now  they  were  ready  to  fall  back  without 
testing  our  magnificent  works  and  huge  guns,  and  lead  us 


ENTERING   THE    STRONGHOLDS.  47 

into  the  swamps  of  Chickahominy ;  where  they  hoped  that 
the  fever  would  complete  the  ghastly  work  already  com 
menced  at  Yorktown. 

During  the  night  of  the  evacuation,  the  roar  of  artillery 
exceeded  anything  that  had  been  heard  before.  From  one 
end  of  the  line  to  the  other  the  shells  and  shot  poured  into 
our  camps,  and  the  arches  of  fire  that  marked  the  courses 
of  the  shells,  with  flame  spouting  from  the  mouths  of  the 
guns,  created  a  magnificent  pyrotechnic  display.  But  at 
daylight,  orderlies  flew  from  regiment  to  regiment  with 
the  startling  intelligence  that  the  beleagured  works  were 
deserted,  and  with  orders  to  occupy  them  at  once.  Smith's 
division  hastened  to  cross  over  the  dam,  and  we  found 
ourselves  in  the  strongholds  that  we  had  so  long  invested. 
As  the  Seventy-seventh  regiment  passed  along  one  of  the 
roads  leading  among  the  intrenchments,  a  sharp  report 
like  that  of  a  pistol  was  heard  at  the  feet  of  those  in  the 
center  of  the  column,  and  directly  under  the  colors.  The 
men  scattered,  and  a  piece  of  old  cloth  was  seen  lying  on 
the  ground  at  the  point  from  which  the  report  emanated. 
Colonel  McKean,  who  was  very  near,  lifted  the  cloth  with 
the  point  of  his  sword,  and  discovered  a  torpedo  carefully 
buried  in  the  ground,  except  a  nipple  which  had  been 
filled  with  fulminating  powder,  which  was  covered  by  the 
old  cloth.  The  fuse  only  had  exploded.  Had  the  machine 
itself  exploded,  it  must  have  destroyed  many  of  our  men, 
our  colonel  among  them.  Other  regiments  were  not  so 
fortunate  as  we  were.  Very  many  men  were  killed  in  the 
streets  and  intrenchments  by  these  torpedoes,  which 
the  enemy  had  planted  in  the  street  at  either  end  of  the 
bridges,  about  springs,  and  near  the  deserted  guns.  They 
were  concealed  beneath  the  ground  with  great  care,  the 
capped  nipple  only  rising  above  the  surface,  and  this, 
covered  by  an  old  rag  or  piece  of  bark  thrown  over  it, 
exploded  at  the  slightest  touch.  These  infernal  machines 


48  MAKCH   TO    WILLIAMSBUKGH. 

were  only  one  feature  of  the  general  plan  of  our  enemies 
to  carry  on  a  war  by  brutal,  savage  and  cowardly  means. 
The  starving  of  prisoners  at  Andersonville  and  Salisbury, 
and  the  wholesale  butchery  at  Fort  Pillow,  were  other 
parts  of  the  same  savage  plan  which  was  crowned  by  the 
fearful  tragedy  at  Ford's  Theatre. 

We  made  little  delay  among  the  rebel  intrenchments ; 
only  long  enough  to  glance  over  the  formidable  works, 
where  the  enemy  had  abandoned  seventy-two  pieces  of 
artillery,  mostly  of  heavy  caliber,  with  immense  numbers 
of  shovels,  picks,  wheelbarrows  and  other  paraphernalia  of 
an  army. 

The  division  was  at  nine  o'clock  sent  forward  on  the 
road  toward  Williamsburgh ;  encountering,  before  it  had 
proceeded  far,  a  portion  of  the  rear-guard  of  the  confed 
erate  army,  which  hastily  fell  back  before  our  advance. 
General  Smith  informed  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 
encounter,  who  ordered  Stoneman,  with  a  regiment  of 
cavalry,  to  give  chase  to  the  retiring  body,  and,  if  pos 
sible,  cut  it  off;  but,  unfortunately,  either  from  want  of 
proper  information  in  regard  to  the  roads,  or  from  other 
hindrances,  this  was  not  effected.  The  division  pushed  on 
over  the  road  lately  traversed  by  the  rebels,  the  men 
overcoming  all  obstacles  that  had  been  thrown  in  their 
way,  in  their  anxiety  to  overtake  the  foe. 

The  scenery,  as  the  troops  passed,  was  indeed  charming 
beyond  description.  Magnificent  forests  of  oak  and  pine, 
interspersed  with  clearings,  the  residences  of  farmers, 
with  fine  fields,  covered  with  the  green  blades  of  the 
newly  springing  wheat,  met  the  view  along  the  road; 
while  the  woods  were  adorned  with  innumerable  flowers. 
The  tall  dogwood,  with  its  clusters  of  large  flowers  like 
swarms  of  white  butterflies,  mingled  with  the  Judas  tree, 
whose  leafless  boughs  were  densely  covered  with  racemes 
of  purple  blossoms.  The  azalia  and  the  honeysuckle 


VICTIMS    OF   DISEASE.  49 

beneath  formed  a  delightful  contrast  with  the  gorgeous 
floral  display  above. 

Thus  the  division  was  hurried  on,  until  at  evening  it 
came  upon  the  rebel  works  at  Williamsburgh.  As  our 
forces  approached  Williamsburgh,  the  cavalry  came  upon 
the  enemy,  and  a  sharp  skirmish  ensued,  in  which  we  lost 
about  fifty  in  killed  and  wounded,  and  the  rebels  left  as 
many  on  the  field.  The  charge  was  made  by  the  Sixth 
cavalry  and  Gibbon's  battery,  driving  the  rebels  back. 
They,  in  their  turn,  being  reinforced,  forced  our  troops 
back;  one  of  our  guns,  from  which  all  the  horses  were 
shot,  being  abandoned.  Each  party  strove  hard  for  the 
possession  of  the  gun,  but  night  closed  upon  the  contest, 
leaving  it  in  possession  of  neither.  In  the  meantime,  the 
men  of  our  division  too  sick  to  march  were  being  cared 
for  by  our  medical  officers.  Hundreds  of  the  men  of  our 
division  lay  sick  with  typhoid  fever  and  other  equally 
dangerous  maladies.  These  were  all  taken  to  the  hospital 
which  had  been  commenced  a  day  or  two  previous,  about 
a  mile  and  a  half  from  our  camp.  The  whole  day  was 
occupied  in  removing  these  men.  Of  those  sent  to  this 
hospital,  as  of  the  many  previously  sent  to  the  hospital  at 
Young's  Mills  and  Fortress  Monroe,  few  ever  returned. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

WILLIAMSBUR  GH. 

Battle  of  Williamsburgh— The  army  not  organized  —  The  medical  department  — 
Hooker's  gallant  fight— Hancock's  charge  —  Mc<Jlellan  at  Yorktown  —  Night  on 
the  battle-field. 

EARLY  on  the  morning  of  the  5th  skirmishing  com 
menced.  The  division  of  Hooker  was  posted  on  the  left  of 
the  road  from  Lee's  Mills  to  "Williamsburgh,  and  our  own 
division  held  the  road,  stretching  mostly  to  the  right  of  it. 
Fort  Magruder  was  directly  in  front  of  us,  commanding 
the  road.  All  that  part  of  the  army  which  had  advanced 
on  the  right,  that  is,  on  the  road  fronl  Yorktown,  were 
massed  as  fast  as  they  arrived,  awaiting  orders.  Great 
delay  was  experienced  in  getting  the  troops  in  position, 
as  there  seemed  to  be  no  harmony  of  action.  Every 
general  of  a  division  seemed  to  do  what  pleased  him,  with 
out  orders  from  higher  authority. 

General  Sumner  was  in  command  of  the  troops  on  the 
field,  but  from  some  cause  seemed  not  to  be  able  to  com 
bine  his  forces  in  such  a  manner  as  to  bear  effectually 
upon  the  lines  of  the  enemy.  One  of  the  serious  diffi 
culties  was  getting  artillery  to  the  front.  The  roads  had 
become  very  muddy  from  the  rain  during  the  night,  and 
were  blocked  up  with  the  immense  multitude  of  wagons, 
so  that  artillery  could  not  pass.  Here  was  sadly  exempli 
fied  the  grand  defect  of  our  army  —  the  want  of  organ 
ization. 

Our  army  was  an  enormous  heterogenous  mass,  without 
any  pretense  of  a  system  to  centralize  and  harmonize  its 


THE    ARMY   NOT    ORGANIZED.  51 

movements.  An  army  is  not  organized  by  throwing  it 
into  brigades  and  divisions;  this  is  but  the  first  and  easiest 
step.  The  departments  must  be  so  organized  that  each 
performs  well  its  part,  without  interference  with  another. 
In  this  case  the  quartermaster's  department  sadly  inter 
fered  with  the  others.  Every  regimental  quartermaster 
was  for  himself,  and,  as  a  natural  result,  the  immense 
trains  were  thrown  into  great  disorder,  impeding  the 
movements  of  all  the  other  branches  of  the  service.  No 
one  seemed  at  liberty  to  bring  order  out  of  this  confusion ; 
and  thus  artillery  and  wagons  remained  stuck  in  the  mud. 
This  same  confusion  prevailed  in  all  the  departments. 
We  shall  take  the  liberty  here  to  quote  at  some  length 
from  the  remarks  of  the  Prince  De  Joinville,  who  was  at 
that  time  a  member  of  General  McClellan's  staff,  an  able 
soldier  and  an  ardent  friend  of  the  Commander-in-Chief. 
Says  the  Prince : 

"  The  American  system  of  '  every  man  for  himself,'  indi 
vidually  applied  by  officers  and  soldiers  of  each  corps  to 
one  another,  is  also  applied  by  the  corps  themselves 
to  their  reciprocal  relations.  There  is  no  special  branch 
of  the  service  whose  duty  it  is  to  regulate,  centralize  and 
direct  the  movements  of  the  army.  In  such  a  case  as  this 
of  which  we  are  speaking,  we  should  have  seen  the  general 
staff  of  a  French  army  taking  care  that  nothing  should 
impede  the  advance  of  the  troops;  stopping  a  file  of 
wagons  here  and  ordering  it  out  of  the  road  to  clear 
the  way ;  sending  on  a  detail  of  men  there  to  repair  the  road 
way,  or  draw  a  cannon  out  of  the  mud  in  order  to  com 
municate  to  every  corps  commander  the  orders  of  the 
general-in-chief.  Here  nothing  of  the  sort  is  done.  *  * 

"  The  want  of  a  general  staff  was  not  less  severely  felt 
in  obtaining  and  transmitting  the  information  necessary, 
at  the  moment  of  an  impending  action.  No  one  knew  the 
country ;  the  maps  were  so  defective  that  they  were  use- 


52  THE    MEDICAL   DEPARTMENT. 

less.  Little  was  known  about  the  fortified  battle-field  on 
which  the  army  was  about  to  be  engaged.  Yet  this 
battle-field  had  been  seen  and  reconnoitered  by  the  troops 
which  had  taken  part  in  Stoneman's  skirmish.  Enough 
was  surely  known  of  it  for  us  to  combine  a  plan  of  attack, 
and  assign  to  every  commander  his  own  part  of  the  work. 
ISTo,  this  was  not  so.  Every  one  kept  his  observations  to 
himself;  not  from  any  ill-will,  but  because  it  was  nobody's 
special  duty  to  do  this  general  work.  It  was  a  defect  in 
the  organization,  and  with  the  best  elements  in  the  world, 
an  army  that  is  not  organized  cannot  expect  great  success. 
It  is  fortunate  if  it  escapes  disaster." 

"We  may  be  pardoned  for  continuing  this  digression 
from  the  narrative,  to  speak  particularly  of  the  disorder 
in  the  medical  department.  The  surgeons  of  regiments 
were,  as  a  general  rule,  men  of  ability,  and  who  were 
earnestly  devoted  to  the  duties  of  their  position.  Of 
course,  in  so  large  an  army,  there  were  some  who  were 
not  fitted  for  their  position,  either  by  ability  or  moral 
worth;  these  were  exceptions.  Yet,  while  there  was  a 
general  disposition  prevailing  in  the  department  to  make 
any  sacrifice  or  submit  to  any  amount  of  fatigue,  in  order 
to  relieve  the  sufferings  of  those  committed  to  their  charge, 
they  labored  under  the  greatest  disadvantage  from  want 
of  proper  combination  and  cooperation  in  the  staff.  Every 
man  was  for  himself.  Each  regimental  surgeon  was 
expected  to  look  out  for  the  wants  of  his  own  men ;  to 
erect  his  hospital  tents ;  to  see  that  the  wounded  of  his 
regiment  were  carried  off  the  field;  to  administer  food, 
dress  wounds,  and  attend  to  the  operative  surgery.  With 
all  these  divers  cares,  he  could  hardly  be  expected  to  per 
form  any  duties  well.  When  any  combination  of  action 
was  effected,  the  organization  was  voluntary  and  tem 
porary,  and,  of  course,  wanting  in  order  and  efficiency. 
Added  to  these  difficulties,  the  medical  officer  found 


HOOKER'S  GALLANT  FIGHT.  53 

himself  destitute  of  supplies,  and  seemingly  without  any 
prospect  of  obtaining  them. 

It  is  true  that  the  officers  of  the  medical  staff  were  gen 
erally  inexperienced  in  the  duties  of  military  surgery,  so 
different  from  the  labors  of  the  physician  in  civil  life ;  yet, 
the  great  trouble  was  without  doubt  at  head-quarters. 
The  department  was  directed  by  an  officer  who  had  done 
good  service  in  the  Mexican  war,  but  who  by  long  con 
nection  with  the  regular  army,  seemed  to  have  become  so 
wedded  to  the  formal  precision  of  military  routine,  that 
no  contingency  was  sufficient  to  move  him  from  his  estab 
lished  habits.  Here  was  occasion  for  dispensing  with 
formalities.  Responsibilities  should  have  been  assumed, 
and,  if  necessary,  supplies  should  have  been  thrown  into 
the  army  broadcast,  without  thought  of  requisition  or 
receipts.  Under  the  direction  of  the  efficient  and  gentle 
manly  surgeon  of  volunteers,  Dr.  Letterman,  order  was  at 
length  brought  out  of  the  confusion  which  existed  until 
the  battle  of  Antietam;  from  which  time  the  medical 
staff  became  the  most  efficient  ever  known  in  any  army. 

To  return  to  our  narrative.  By  noon  the  battle  raged 
furiously;  Hooker's  division  contesting  the  field  nobly 
against  superior  numbers,  while  our  own  division  held 
the  position  on  his  right,  but  without  coming  to  any 
direct  engagement  aside  from  being  subjected  to  the  fire 
of  artillery.  Hooker  brought  his  men  gallantly  up  to  the 
work  and  at  first  forced  the  enemy  back,  but  in  turn  was 
driven  from  the  ground  he  had  taken,  and  only  by  the 
most  valorous  fighting,  prevented  a  rout. 

The  gallant  general  and  his  noble  men  held  the  ground 
alone  until  the  division  was  fearfully  cut  up.  At  length 
General  Kearney,  at  the  head  of  his  division,  approached 
on  the  Lee's  Mills  road.  General  Sumner  rode  up  to  him 
and  said  quietly,  "  General,  do  you  know  that  Hooker  is 
badly  cut  up?"  "No."  " He  is,  and  is  falling  back.  Hurry 


54  HANCOCKS    CHARGE. 

on  your  division  as  fast  as  possible."  "  How  shall  I  reach 
him  ?"  said  Kearney.  "  Through  yonder  strip  of  woods." 
Kearney  now  led  his  men  forward  at  a  rapid  pace  and 
very  soon  came  to  the  relief  of  the  exhausted  division. 
The  troops  of  Hooker  were  holding  their  ground  against 
the  enemy  twenty  thousand  strong.  They  had  fought  for 
hours  with  only  nine  thousand  men. 

General  Hancock  of  our  First  brigade,  at  his  own  and 
General  Smith's  request,  was,  at  three  o'clock,  allowed  to 
take  his  own  and  a  part  of  our  Third  brigade  to  the  right 
of  the  line,  where  the  position  of  the  enemy  was  very 
strong  by  nature,  and  which  was  on  that  account  secured 
with  less  care  than  the  rest  of  the  line. 

A  steep  wooded  bluff  rose  to  a  great  height  in  our  front, 
and  a  mill  pond  lying  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff  and  newly 
dammed  by  the  rebels,  served  as  a  moat.  Spanning  the 
pond  near  the  dam,  was  a  bridge  of  logs  which  they  had 
neglected  to  destroy.  Across  this  bridge  and  up  a  road 
winding  along  the  side  of  the  bluff,  the  general  led  his 
troops,  finding  the  enemy  upon  the  plateau  above,  occupy 
ing  strong  redoubts.  Artillery  was  brought  to  bear  upon 
them  and  the  rebels  fled ;  our  forces  advancing  and  occu 
pying  the  works.  The  enemy  was  now  reinforced  by  a 
brigade  of  North  Carolina  troops  and  charged  upon  the 
federals.  The  Union  troops  allowed  them  to  approach 
very  near,  when  they  opened  a  tremendous  fire  of  mus 
ketry  and  artillery  upon  them.  Still  the  rebels  came  on 
until  they  were  within  thirty  yards  of  our  men.  "  Now, 
gentlemen,  the  bayonet!"  cried  Hancock,  as  he  rode  along 
the  line  of  battle  close  to  the  troops.  The  men  charged 
upon  the  rebels,  who  fell  back  before  the  shock,  broke  and 
fled,  leaving  the  broad,  green  wheat  field  strewed  with  their 
dead  and  wounded. 

While  the  fighting  was  going  on,  General  Hancock  had 
sent  for  the  remainder  of  our  Third  brigade.  The  order 


HANCOCK'S  CHARGE.  55 

"forward,  double  quick"  was  received  by  the  men  with 
one  of  those  wild  exulting  shouts,  such  as  is  only  heard 
on  the  field  of  battle ;  and  they  rushed  forward  through 
the  liquid  mud,  each  regiment  striving  which  should  first 
reach  the  field.  But  as  we  reached  the  scene  of  conflict, 
the  rebels  had  fled  ;  leaving  the  victory  with  the  men  in 
blue. 

The  regiments  engaged  in  this  brilliant  affair  were,  the 
Forty-third  New  York,  the  Forty-ninth  Pennsylvania, 
the  Sixth  Maine  and  Fifth  Wisconsin,  of  the  First  brigade, 
and  the  Thirty-third  New  York  and  Seventh  Maine  of  the 
Third  brigade. 

The  rebels,  outflanked  by  the  gallant  movement  of 
Smith's  division,  were  glad  to  fall  back  from  before  Hooker 
and  Kearney,  and  seek  refuge  behind  their  works.  Mean 
while  the  great  body  of  the  army  had  remained  entirely 
passive;  not  even  having  been  brought  into  line  of  battle. 
Why  some  of  these  troops  were  not  called  to  the  assist 
ance  of  Hooker,  or  to  render  the  victory  of  Hancock  more 
complete,  we  do  not  know. 

Thus  closed  the  battle  of  Williamsburgh ;  a  battle 
fought  by  two  divisions  and  a  part  of  a  third,  while  the 
mass  of  the  army  remained  as  idle  spectators  of  the  ter 
rible  scene.  If  less  than  twenty  thousand  men  could 
drive  the  rebels  from  their  strong  works,  what  could  not 
that  grand  army  have  done  had  it  been  brought  into 
action ! 

General  McClellan  arrived  on  the  field  at  five  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  and  was  received  with  shouts  of  applause  ; 
but  the  fighting  was  then  over.  The  general  had 
remained  at  Yorktown  since  the  morning  of  the  4th,  to 
superintend  personally  the  shipment  of  Franklin's  division 
of  twelve  thousand  men  ;  one-half  of  whom,  in  order  that 
they  might  be  in  readiness  at  any  moment  to  proceed  up 
the  river  and  head  oft'  the  enemy,  had  never  been  allowed 


56  M'CLELLAN  AT  YORKTOWN. 

to  disembark  from  the  transports  which  brought  them  to 
Yorktown.  General  McClellan's  conduct  in  spending 
nearly  two  days  in  overseeing  personally  the  embarkation 
of  half  or  even  the  whole  of  a  division  of  men,  while  one 
of  the  most  important  battles  of  the  war  was  in  progress, 
leaving  it  to  others  to  take  care  of  the  "  little  affair  at  the 
front,"  has,  by  some,  been  severely  censured ;  while  others 
have  as  earnestly  claimed  that  the  Commander-in-Chief 
had  his  own  views  of  the  necessity  of  getting  those  troops 
off  at  once,  and  the  necessity  of  seeing  that  supplies  of 
rations,  ammunition  and  war  material,  were  forwarded, 
was  imperative ;  and  that  we  are  to  remember  that  the 
advance  was  intrusted  to  General  Sumner ;  a  man  in 
whose  ability  both  he  and  the  army  confided.  The 
general  telegraphed  that  night  to  the  Secretary  of  War : 
"  After  arranging  for  movements  up  the  York  river,  I  was 
sent  for  here.  I  find  General  Joe  Johnston  in  front  of  me 
in  strong  force,  probably  greater  a  good  deal  than  my 
own.  *  .  *  *  My  entire  force  is  undoubtedly  consid 
erably  inferior  to  that  of  the  rebels,  who  will  fight  well ; 
but  I  will  do  all  I  can  with  the  force  at  my  disposal." 

It  was  not  known  that  night  that  we  had  won  such  a  vic 
tory  ;  but  when,  in  the  morning,  we  found  the  rebels  all 
gone,  he  telegraphed :  "  Every  hour  proves  our  victory 
more  complete." 

In  the  light  of  this  testimony  of  the  Commander-in-Chief, 
what  a  noble  record  had  those  three  divisions  that  day 
made  for  themselves !  They  had,  according  to  these  dis 
patches,  fought  with  a  force  "  greater  a  good  deal "  than 
our  entire  army,  and  had  won  a  complete  victory  ! 

Night  closed  upon  the  battle-field.  Our  division 
bivouacked  around  one  of  the  rebel  redoubts.  It  was 
filled  with  rebel  wounded,  whose  groans  and  cries  made 
the  night  hideous.  The  ground  was  a  bed  of  liquid  mud, 
and  the  rain  still  poured.  No  fires  were  allowed,  and  the 


NIGHT   ON  THE    BATTLE-FIELD.  57 

men  stood  shivering  all  night  rather  than  lie  down  in  the 
mud. 

The  sun  rose  clear  and  bright  next  morning,  and  the 
Avhole  army  filed  into  the  works  deserted  by  the  enemy 
during  the  night,  and  occupied  the  town  of  Williams- 
burgh,  a  mile  or  more  from  the  battle-field.  All  the  pub 
lic  buildings  in  town  were  filled  with  the  rebel  wounded; 
and  the  inhabitants  were  actively  engaged  in  ministering 
to  their  wants.  Here  the  army  remained  three  days, 
waiting  for  provisions  to  come  up  from  Yorktown,  a  dis 
tance  of  fifteen  miles.  It  is  a  question,  why  troops,  who 
were  afterward  accustomed  to  carry  four  or  even  six  days' 
rations,  were  sent  away  from  Yorktown  with  one. 


8 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  MARCH  UP  THE  PENINSULA  AND  THE  ORGAN 
IZATION  OF  THE  SIXTH  CORPS. 

March  up  the  Peninsula— Joy  of  the  contrabands  —  Cumberland  Landing— The 
Sixth  Corps  organized— At  White  House— On  the  Chickahominy  —  Fight  at 
Mechanicsville— Battle  of  Hanover  Court  House. 

ON  the  ninth  of  May,  after  a  delay  of  three  days,  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  resumed  the  pursuit  of  Johnston's 
army.  The  day  was  fair  and  bright,  and  the  journey  of 
fifteen  miles,  to  troops  as  yet  little  inured  to  the  fatigues 
of  long  marches,  bore  severely  upon  them.  We  rested 
till  three  o'clock  next  morning ;  when  orders  came  to  fall 
into  line,  and  at  five  we  were  again  toiling  over  the  road. 
After  a  hard  day's  march  we  halted  near  New  Kent  Court 
House ;  where  General  Stoneman,  with  his  cavalry,  had  a 
day  or  two  before  overtaken  the  rear-guard  of  the  enemy, 
who  gave  him  battle.  Evidences  of  the  engagement  were 
to  be  seen  all  about  us,  and  many  wounded  cavalrymen 
were  found  in  the  neighboring  farm  houses.  We  remained 
here  over  the  Sabbath  and  the  next  day;  glad  of  rest, 
though  anxious  to  be  on  the  trail  of  the  enemy. 

General  Franklin's  division  had  already  landed,  and 
beaten  the  rebels  at  West  Point;  and  the  flotilla  laden 
with  supplies  had  also  ascended  the  river  thus  far. 

It  was  at  New  Kent  Court  House  that  the  news  of  the 
destruction  of  the  Merrimac,  and  the  possession  of  Norfolk 
by  General  Wool's  forces,  first  reached  us,  and  our  hearts 
swelled  with  joy  at  our  successes.  On  the  13th  we 
resumed  the  march;  winding  along  the  banks  of  the  tor- 


JOY   OF   THE    CONTRABANDS.  59 

tuous  Pamunkey,  enchanted  by  the  lovely  scenery  which 
constantly  met  our  gaze.  The  profusion  of  flowers  in  the 
forests,  the  bright  green  meadows,  and  the  broad  fields  of 
newly  springing  wheat,  offered  a  perpetual  charm ;  and  as 
we  passed  along,  the  women  and  negroes  watched  us  with 
conflicting  sentiments  of  interest.  All  the  white  men 
capable  of  bearing  arms,  and  every  able-bodied  negro, 
had  been  swept  along  by  the  rebel  army  in  its  retreat,  and 
none  but  women  and  children  and  aged  negroes  were  now 
left  along  the  route.  At  every  house  the  alarmed  white 
people  threw  out  the  white  flag  in  token  of  submission^  as 
though  their  protection  from  injury  depended  upon  this 
symbol  of  peace. 

Great  numbers  of  negroes  flocked  to  the  roadside,  to 
welcome  the  Union  army.  Their  expressions  of  joy  at 
seeing  us  were  wild  and  amusing,  All  hoped  we  would 
shortly  overtake  and  destroy  the  rebel  army,  their  own 
masters  included.  Those  who  had  hitherto  regarded  the 
relation  of  master  and  slave  as  one  of  mutual  affection,  had 
only  to  witness  these  unique  demonstrations  of  rejoicing 
at  our  approach,  and  the  seemingly  certain  destruction  of 
the  slave  owners,  to  be  convinced  that  the  happiness  and 
contentment  claimed  for  those  in  servitude  was  but  a 
worthless  fiction.  The  negroes,  gathering  in  crowds  along 
the  wayside,  would  grasp  the  hands  of  the  Union  soldiers, 
calling  down  all  manner  of  blessings  upon  them,  and  leap 
ing  and  dancing  in  their  frantic  delight. 

One  gray-haired  old  patriarch,  surrounded  by  a  numer 
ous  group  of  younger  chattels,  who  were  leaping  and 
shouting,  exclaimed,  in  a  loud  voice,  "  Bress  de  Lord  ! 
I'se  been  praying  for  yous  all  to  come  all  dis  time ;  and 
now  I'se  glad  yous  got  so  fur ;  and  I  pray  de  Lord  dat 
yous  may  keep  on,  and  conquer  def  and  hell  and  de 
grabe!"  All  the  others,  joining  in  the  chorus,  cried, 
"  Bress  de  Lord ! "  The  master  of  the  old  man  sat  quietly 


62  AT   WHITE    HOUSE. 

proud  a  record.  No  corps,  either  in  our  own  army  or  any 
other,  ever  met  the  enemy  so  frequently  in  general  battle, 
and  never  were  more  glorious  deeds  accomplished  by 
troops  than  were  done  by  these.  Never  in  the  course  of 
all  their  campaigns  were  either  of  these  two  divisions  put 
to  rout,  and  in  almost  all  its  encounters  the  corps  held  the 
field  as  victors. 

We  were  now  encamped  on  the  old  Custis  place ;  at 
present  owned  by  General  Fitzhugh  Lee,  of  the  rebel 
cavalry  service.  On  every  side  of  us  were  immense  fields 
of  wheat,  which,  but  for  the  presence  of  armies,  promised 
an  abundant  harvest.  Day  after  day  passed,  in  quiet 
repose,  and  the  Sabbath  found  us  still  waiting  on  the 
banks  of  the  Pamunkey.  It  was  marvelous  that  such 
silence  could  exist  where  a  hundred  thousand  men  were 
crowded  together,  yet  almost  absolute  stillness  reigned 
throughout  the  vast  camp  during  the  whole  of  this  pleas 
ant  Sabbath.  Save  that  here  and  there  the  notes  of  Old 
Hundred  or  some  sacred  air  was  heard  from  the  band 
of  some  regiment  whose  chaplain  had  gathered  his  men 
for  religious  services,  no  sound  disturbed  the  universal 
quiet. 

Not  far  from  us  was  the  White  House,  at  the  head  of 
navigation,  on  the  Pamunkey.  The  house  was  a  fine  build 
ing,  once  the  property  of  Washington,  now  in  possession 
of  the  Lee  family.  Here  the  Richmond  and  York  River 
railroad  crossed  the  Pamunkey,  and  this  was  made  the  base 
of  operations  for  the  army.  Here  the  transports  poured 
out  a  vast  amount  of  supplies,  and  under  the  protection 
of  the  flotilla  of  gunboats,  the  quartermasters  and  com 
missaries  commenced  their  active  operations. 

Except  that  a  few  rails  had  been  torn  up,  the  railroad 
was  in  excellent  order,  and  engines  and  cars  were  at  once 
placed  on  the  track  ready  to  follow  the  army  on  its 
advance  to  Richmond. 


FIGHT   AT   MECHANICSVILLE.  63 

The  Sixth  corps  proceeded  toward  the  Chickahominy, 
which  it  reached  at  a  point  several  miles  above  the  rail 
road  crossing  at  Bottom's  Bridge,  occupying  the  extreme 
right  of  the  Union  line  of  battle  as  formed  along  that 
river.  The  position  of  the  Union  army  was  now  as  fol 
lows  :  Keyes'  corps  had  crossed  the  Chickahominy  at 
Bottom's  Bridge,  and  Heintzelman  had  followed,  taking 
a  position  between  Keyes  and  the  bridge.  Sumner  was  on 
the  railroad,  and  Franklin  on  the  right  near  New  Bridge ; 
Stoneman's  cavalry  was  on  the  right  of  the  Sixth  corps, 
and  Porter's  divisions  were  in  the  rear,  within  supporting 
distance. 

On  the  23d,  General  Stoneman  with  his  cavalry  pushed 
forward  toward  Mechanicsville,  supported  by  Davidson's 
brigade.  The  brigade  halted  for  the  night  near  Beaver 
Dam  creek,  a  marshy  stream  pouring  into  the  Chicka 
hominy.  On  the  following  morning  the  brigade  again 
pushed  forward,  the  men  making  their  way  with  great 
difficulty  through  a  swamp,  then  plunging  through  the 
stream,  then  forcing  their  way  through  brambles  and 
briars,  and  again  wading  through  the  water ;  until  the  men 
seemed  to  have  become  amphibious.  They  at  length 
found  the  enemy  near  the  little  village  of  Mechanicsville. 

The  brigade,  with  Wheeler's  battery,  formed  in  line  of 
battle  on  some  commanding  grounds,  and  quietly  rested 
for  the  night.  On  the  morning  of  the  24th,  the  Seventy- 
seventh  and  part  of  the  Thirty-third  were  ordered  to 
advance  toward  the  village  and  reconnoiter  the  position. 
Hardly  had  the  advance  commenced  before  the  rebels 
opened  upon  the  two  commands  a  fierce  cannonade,  which 
forced  our  men  to  lie  down,  that  the  shells  might  pass  over 
them.  Wheeler's  battery  responded  nobly  to  the  rebel 
artillery,  and  presently  General  Davidson  ordered  Colonel 
McKean  to  charge  the  village  with  his  regiment.  The 
men  rose  to  their  feet  and  started  forward  with  a  yell. 


64  BATTLE    OF   HANOVER  COUET   HOUSE. 

Down  the  hill  they  rushed  impetuously,  cheering  and 
yelling;  but  the  two  rebel  regiments,  the  Seventh  and 
Eighth  Georgia,  startled  by  the  shouts,  seized  their 
muskets  and  ran ;  firing  but  one  parting  salute.  Their 
battery  also  limbered  up  and  beat  a  hasty  retreat ;  and  as 
our  men  reached  the  village  they  were  seen  lashing  their 
horses  into  a  run,  and  in  a  moment  they  disappeared 
altogether  down  the  road. 

In  their  haste  the  rebels  forgot  to  carry  off  their  knap 
sacks,  canteens  and  haversacks;  and  our  boys  gathered 
them  up  to  be  kept  till  called  for.  They  had  also  left  a 
great  many  guns  and  cartridge  boxes ;  and  a  flag,  which 
the  Seventy-seventh  bore  away  in  triumph. 

On  the  26th  of  May,  the  enemy  was  discovered  in  con 
siderable  force  at  Hanover  Court  House,  to  the  right  and 
rear  of  our  army.  A  part  of  Porter's  corps  was  sent  to 
meet  this  rebel  force,  and  if  possible  drive  it  from  its 
position.  After  a  fatiguing  march  through  mud  and  rain, 
General  Emory,  with  his  own  brigade,  and  other  troops 
of  the  corps,  came  up  with  the  enemy  near  Hanover  Court 
House,  and  at  once  commenced  advancing  slowly  against 
the  line  of  the  enemy,  when,  being  reinforced  by  part  of 
Martindale's  brigade,  a  charge  was  ordered  and  the  rebels 
were  routed.  They  fled  precipitately,  leaving  one  of  their 
guns  in  the  hands  of  our  troops. 

Being  reinforced,  the  rebels  turned  upon  our  troops,  but 
were  gallantly  held  by  Martindale's  brigade  until  General 
Porter  brought  a  large  force  to  the  field.  The  rebels  were 
again  attacked  and  completely  routed.  They  left  about 
two  hundred  of  their  dead  on  the  field  to  be  buried  by 
our  men.  Seven  hundred  prisoners  were  captured,  beside 
two  railroad  trains,  a  twelve  pound  gun  and  many  small 
arms.  Our  own  loss  amounted  to  about  fifty  killed  and 
more  than  three  hundred  wounded  and  missing. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

ON  THE  CHICKAHOMINY. 

Gaines'  Farm  — The  line  of  battle  — Battle  of  Seven  Pines  —  Sedgwick  and  Kearney 
to  the  rescue  — Hooker's  charge  — A  lost  opportunity  — Golden's  Farm  —  Ditch 
ing  —  Malaria — Chickahominy  fevers  —  A  German  regiment  —  Stuart's  raid. 

DAVIDSON'S  command  was  withdrawn  from  its  position 
on  Beaver  Dam  creek  on  the  26th  of  May.  Moving  down 
the  river  about  five  miles,  it  encamped  with  the  rest  of  the 
Sixth  corps  on  the  farm  of  Dr.  Gaines,  a  noted  rebel, 
where  it  remained  until  June  5th.  The  camps  were  within 
easy  range  of  the  enemy's  guns,  which  were  planted  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  our  pickets  could 
observe  those  of  the  rebels  as  they  walked  their  beats. 

Few  more  charming  places  than  Games'  Farm  could  be 
found  on  the  Peninsula.  The  broad  wheat  fields,  alter 
nating  with  wooded  hills,  afforded  a  scene  of  enchantment 
to  the  weary  soldiers.  A  single  wheat  field  contained 
four  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  and  a  delightful  grove  in 
rear  of  the  superb  old  mansion,  furnished  a  cool  retreat 
during  the  intense  heat  of  the  day.  The  extensive  gar 
dens  were  filled  with  rare  exotics  and  most  beautiful 
native  plants  and  trees,  and  birds  of  varied  and  brilliant 
plumage  sported  among  the  flowering  shrubs  and  charmed 
the  air  with  their  lively  notes.  Near  the  river  side  stood 
a  large  barn  well  filled  with  tobacco,  from  which  the  boys 
of  the  corps  did  not  hesitate  to  lay  in  a  full  supply. 

In  the  rear  of  the  corps  was  Liberty  Hall,  the  birthplace 
of  Patrick  Henry.  Now  it  was  used  as  a  hospital,  and 
hundreds  of  soldiers,  worn  out  with  fatigue  or  burning 
9 


66  THE    LINE    OF    BATTLE. 

with  fevers,  occupied  the  house  and  hospital  tents  sur 
rounding  it. 

Our  men  were  employed  in  doing  picket  duty,  and  in 
building  corduroy  roads  and  bridges.  The  river,  scarcely 
restrained  by  banks,  was  rising  rapidly  from  the  continued 
fall  of  rain,  and  at  one  time  the  pickets  of  our  division, 
including  the  Thirty-third  New  York,  were  found  in  the 
morning  surrounded  by  water;  the  rain  having  within 
three  hours  risen  so  rapidly  that  many  were  standing  in 
water  above  their  waists,  while  others  were  clinging 
to  bushes  for  support.  Boats  were  procured,  and  the 
drenched  pickets  were  removed  from  their  disagreeable 
positions. 

The  army  was  divided  into  two  wings,  one  on  the  south 
and  one  on  the  north  side  of  the  Chickahominy.  The  line 
of  battle  was  in  the  form  of  a  V :  Keyes'  and  Heintzel- 
man's  corps  on  a  line  from  Bottom's  Bridge  to  Seven 
Pines,  forming  the  left  arm  of  the  V,  and  Franklin's, 
Sumner's  and  Porter's  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Chicka 
hominy,  from  Bottom's  Bridge  to  Games'  Farm,  the  right 
arm. 

Keyes'  corps,  now  composed  of  Casey's  and  Couch's 
divisions,  had  crossed  the  river  at  Bottom's  Bridge  on  the 
24th,  and  after  considerable  skirmishing  with  the  enemy, 
had  established  itself  on  the  road  from  Richmond  to 
Williamsburgh,  about  six  miles  from  Richmond,  and  as 
far  from  the  Chickahominy,  at  a  fork  in  the  road  called 
Seven  Pines.  Heintzelman's  corps  had  followed,  and 
occupied  a  position  in  the  rear  near  the  river.  Casey's 
division  occupied  an  advance  position,  and  Couch  the 
second  line.  One  of  the  roads  from  this  point,  called 
the  nine-mile  road  to  Richmond,  crossed  the  Richmond 
and  York  River  railroad  north  of  Seven  Pines,  at  a  place 
called  Fair  Oaks.  The  country  was  wooded  and  marshy, 
and  General  Casey  was  not  able  to  throw  his  pickets  out 


BATTLE    OF    SEVEN    PINES.  67 

more  than  a  thousand  yards  in  advance  of  his  line  of 
battle.  Both  divisions  at  once  intrenched  themselves,  and 
slashed  the  forests,  that  any  approach  of  the  enemy  might 
be  discovered,  and  to  widen  the  sweep  of  their  guns. 
Here  the  two  divisions  remained,  having  occasional  skir 
mishes  with  the  enemy,  until  the  morning  of  the  31st  of 
May. 

During  the  night  before,  the  rain  had  fallen  in  torrents. 
Thunders  rolled  along  the  sky,  and  the  heavens  blazed 
with  perpetual  flashes  of  lightning.  The  morning  found 
the  earth  drenched  by  the  floods,  and  the  men  of  Casey's 
division  rose  from  their  beds  of  mud  to  fight  the  battle  of 
Seven  Pines. 

It  became  evident  to  General  Casey  early  in  the  day 
that  the  enemy  designed  to  attack  him  in  force.  He 
accordingly  ordered  his  division  under  arms,  and  made 
such  dispositions  of  his  forces  as  seemed  best  calculated 
to  resist  the  onset. 

At  half-past  twelve  the  attack  was  commenced.  Large 
bodies  of  rebels  emerged  from  the  cover  of  the  woods, 
and  at  once  commenced  a  brisk  fire  of  musketry  and 
artillery,  driving  in  the  picket  line,  and  pressing  forward 
against  the  Union  line  of  intrenchments.  The  numbers 
of  the  enemy  were  now  seen  to  be  greatly  disproportion 
ate  to  those  of  the  single  division  opposed  to  them,  and 
General  Casey  called  for  help.  Couch's  division  was 
under  arms,  acting  as  support,  but  not  yet  engaged. 
Some  of  the  new  troops,  thus  pressed  by  overwhelming 
numbers  broke  and  retreated  in  disorder ;  but  the  division 
at  large  nobly  withstood  the  mighty  host  which  assailed 
it  in  front,  flank  and  rear.  The  forces  of  the  enemy 
constantly  increased ;  and  the  single  division  was  now 
fairly  invested  by  the  exultant  foe,  who  pressed  forward, 
unmindful  of  the  losses  inflicted  by  Casey's  troops. 
Again  and  again  the  enemy  came  on  in  masses,  receiv- 


70  A    LOST     OPPORTUNITY. 

and  before  half  crossing  the  open  space  their  pace  was 
quickened  to  a  run  ;  constantly  firing  as  they  dashed  for 
ward  on  the  enemy. 

Presently  the  edge  of  the  forest  was  reached  ;  and  here 
considerable  opposition  was  met  with;  yet,  after  a  mo 
ment's  halt,  the  division  again  pushed  forward  into  the 
woods.  The  din  of  arms  was  heard  for  a  few  moments, 
then  the  firing  ceased,  and  our  troops  were  in  possession 
of  the  ground. 

The  rebels  were,  in  their  turn,  now  panic-stricken ;  and 
hundreds  of  them  rushed  back  to  the  confederate  capital, 
spreading  the  alarm,  and  declaring  that  the  Yankees  were 
about  to  walk  into  the  city. 

It  was  doubtless  a  sad  mistake  that  this  victory  was  not 
followed  up.  The  rebels,  who  had  greatly  outnumbered 
us  in  the  fight  of  the  day  before,  were  now  themselves 
outnumbered.  They  had  suffered  severe  repulses  on  the 
evening  before,  and  on  this  day  their  rear-guard  had  been 
whipped  by  General  Hooker. 

A  renewal  of  the  attack  in  force  on  the  part  of  the 
Union  army  would  have  probably  resulted  in  the  capture 
of  the  beleaguered  city.  As  it  was,  the  commander  of 
the  Union  army  was  on  the  north  side  of  the  Chickahom- 
iny,  many  miles  from  the  scene  of  action,  and  no  order  for 
a  forward  movement  was  given. 

Such  was  the  battle  of  Seven  Pines  or  Fair  Oaks. 
Fought  for  the  most  part,  by  a  single  division  of  less  than 
six  thousand  men,  against  the  combined  forces  of  Long- 
street,  Hill,  Smith  and  Huger ;  all  under  the  immediate 
command  of  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  rebel  army, 
General  Johnston. 

General  Johnston  had  become  satisfied,  from  the  reports 
of  his  scouts,  that  only  Keyes'  corps,  of  two  divisions,  was 
across  the  Chickahominy.  Believing  that  the  bad  state 
of  the  roads  and  the  swollen  condition  of  the  Chicka- 


JOHNSTON'S  PLANS.  71 

hominy,  would  effectually  prevent  reinforcements  reaching 
this  corps  before  he  could  fall  upon  it  and  crush  it,  he 
had  determined  to  bring  an  overwhelming  force  against 
it.  Accordingly,  the  divisions  of  Longstreet,  Hill,  Smith 
and  Huger,  were  placed  in  position  to  make  a  sudden  and 
destructive  assault  upon  the  front  and  flanks  of  Casey's 
exposed  division,  in  the  confident  expectation  of  annihilat 
ing  it.  But,  instead  of  giving  way  before  this  avalanche, 
as  Johnston  had  contemplated,  the  regiments  of  the  divi 
sion,  with  few  exceptions,  manfully  held  their  ground  for 
three  hours. 

The  Commander-in-Chief  reported  to  the  Secretary  of 
War  that  Casey's  division  "  gave  way  unaccountably  and 
discreditably."  Five  days  later  he  promised  to  modify 
his  charge,  if  he  found  occasion  ;  but  it  was  only  in  his  final 
report,  made  many  months  after  leaving  the  army,  he  was 
constrained  to  acknowledge  the  good  conduct  of  the  divi 
sion —  an  act  of  tardy  justice  to  deserving  men. 

Notwithstanding  the  great  disparity  in  the  numbers  of 
those  engaged  on  the  rebel  and  Union  sides,  the  losses 
were  nearly  equal.  The  Union  army  lost  four  thousand 
five  hundred  and  seventeen  in  killed  and  wounded,  and 
one  thousand  two  hundred  and  twenty-two  missing. 
Nearly  one-half  of  all  these  losses  were  from  Casey's  and 
Couch's  divisions.  General  Johnston  reported  the  rebel 
loss  in  Longstreet's  and  Hill's  commands  at  four  thousand 
two  hundred  and  thirty-six. 

Among  the  trophies  of  the  enemy,  were  ten  pieces  of 
artillery  and  four  stands  of  colors. 

With  these  trophies,  they  were  satisfied  to  boast  their 
victory ;  regardless  of  the  fact  that  they  had  been  the 
assailants  in  superior  numbers,  and  had  been  repulsed  with 
fearful  slaughter,  and  that  the  only  fruit  of  their  boasted 
victory  was  a  few  guns  and  colors,  as  an  offset  for  the  loss 
of  thousands  of  their  soldiers.  General  Johnston  himself 


72  BISE    OF   THE    CHICKAHOMIXY. 

was  among  the  rebel  wounded,  and  was  forced  to  give 
over  the  command  to  another. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Union  army  might,  had  the 
corps  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Chickahominy  promptly 
followed  that  of  General  Sumner  across  the  river,  have 
easily  entered  Richmond.  But  the  hesitancy  which  char 
acterized  the  movements  of  the  army  lost  to  us  all  the 
advantages  of  success.  Early  next  day  the  treacherous 
river  had  risen  to  such  an  extent  as  to  render  crossing 
almost  impossible  ;  so  the  army  remained  as  the  battle  of 
Fair  Oaks  had  left  it ;  three  corps  on  the  south,  and  two 
on  the  north  side  of  the  Chickahominy,  separated  by  an 
almost  unsurmountable  obstacle. 

From  our  camp  at  Games'  Farm,  the  men  of  the  Sixth 
corps  could  see  the  smoke  of  battle  and  hear  the  roar  of 
artillery  and  musketry;  but  were  not  able  to  go  to  the 
assistance  of  their  fellows. 

The  distance  from  Games'  Farm  to  Fair  Oaks  was,  in  a 
direct  line,  scarcely  more  than  four  miles,  but  as  all  com 
munications  with  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  were  by 
way  of  Bottom's  Bridge,  the  distance  was  about  fifteen 
miles.  The  Vermont  brigade  essayed  a  crossing  in  our 
own  front  on  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day  of  the  fight, 
with  the  view  of  rendering  assistance  on  the  other  side, 
but  the  attempt  was  abandoned. 

General  McClellan,  with  General  Hancock  and  other 
officers,  took  a  position  in  the  line  of  our  Third  brigade, 
on  Sunday,  where  they  remained  watching  the  progress 
of  the  battle  from  afar  until  darkness  shut  out  the  view. 

On  the  day  after  the  battle,  rain  poured  in  a  continuous 
storm;  deluging  the  roads  and  swelling  what  had  been 
but  rivulets  the  day  before,  into  rivers.  In  the  midst  of 
this  tempest  of  rain,  Casey's  division,  destitute  of  tents 
and  blankets,  weary  from  fighting  and  disheartened  by 
injustice,  inarched  six  miles  to  the  rear  to  find  a  new 


GOLDEN'S  FAKM.  73 


encampment.  On  the  5th  of  June,  Smith's  division,  of 
the  Sixth  corps,  was  ordered  to  cross  the  Chickahominy, 
and  encamp  on  "  Golden's  Farm,"  nearly  opposite.  The 
Third  brigade  took  the  advance,  followed  by  the  rest  of 
the  division.  Owing  to  the  swollen  state  of  the  river, 
and  the  impossibility  of  bridging  it,  the  division  was 
forced  to  march  to  Dispatch  Station  before  effecting  a 
crossing.  The  march  was  a  long  and  weary  one  to  gain  a 
distance  less  than  three  miles. 

Some  of  our  troops  were  found  skirmishing  with  the 
enemy,  and  our  batteries  opened  upon  the  gray  coats,  who 
quickly  surrendered  the  ground  and  took  to  flight.  Our 
Second  division  encamped  in  a  pleasant  locality,  yet  in 
close  proximity  to  the  swamp. 

The  Chickahominy  wound  its  doubtful  course  among 
multitudes  of  islands  scarcely  raised  above  the  surface, 
yet  covered  with  trees,  shrubs  and  vines  in  profusion, 
within  a  few  rods  of  our  camp.  Beyond  us,  in  our  front, 
were  forests  of  luxuriant  growths  of  trees  and  climbing 
shrubs,  and  the  country  all  about  us  was  interrupted  with 
rank  growth  of  timber.  The  division  at  once  proceeded, 
as  did  all  the  other  divisions  in  the  army,  to  throw  up 
earthworks  ;  making  slow  advances  at  certain  points  by 
pushing  these  works  further  toward  the  front.  On  the 
18th,  we  were  joined  by  the  other  division,  Slocum's. 
The  Sixth  corps  now  formed  the  right  of  the  new  line  of 
battle  on  the  south  of  the  river.  The  line  reached  from 
Golden's  Farm  to  Fair  Oaks.  Day  and  night  the  men 
worked  at  the  breastworks  and  bridges.  One-third  of 
the  army  was  employed  constantly  at  these  works,  and  the 
immense  lines  of  intrenchments  were  marvels  of  achieve 
ments  in  engineering.  These  were  all  constructed  under 
the  fire  of  the  enemy  ;  no  day  passing  without  its  skirmish. 
Soldiers  were  daily  brought  to  the  hospitals  with  wounds, 
even  in  the  most  quiet  times. 
10 


74  CHICKAHOMINT   FEVERS. 

Everything  combined  to  exhaust  the  energies  of  the 
men  and  produce  fevers,  diarrheas  and  scurvy.  Day  after 
day  the  men  worked  under  a  burning  sun,  throwing  up 
the  immense  walls  of  earth,  or  toiled  standing  to  their 
waists  in  water,  building  bridges.  Night  after  night  they 
were  called  to  arms,  to  resist  some  threatened  attack  of 
the  enemy.  Their  clothing  and  tents  were  drenched  with 
frequent  rains,  and  they  often  slept  in  beds  of  mud. 
With  the  hot  weather,  the  malaria  became  more  and  more 
deadly.  The  whole  country  was  alternately  overflowed 
and  drained;  and  the  swamps  were  reeking  with  the 
poisoned  air.  The  hospitals  became  daily  more  crowded. 
The  strongest  were  constantly  falling.  Diarrhea,  typhoid 
fever,  and  other  miasmatic  maladies,  became  almost  uni 
versal.  Men  who  worked  at  the  breastworks  one  day 
would  be  found  in  the  hospitals  on  the  next,  burning  with 
fever,  tormented  with  insatiable  thirst,  racked  with  pains, 
or  wild  with  delirium ;  their  parched  lips,  and  teeth  black 
ened  with  sordes,  the  hot  breath  and  sunken  eyes,  the 
sallow  skin  and  trembling  pulse,  all  telling  of  the  violent 
workings  of  these  diseases. 

Day  after  day,  scores  of  brave  men,  who  had  left  their 
northern  homes  to  aid  in  the  hour  of  their  country's  need, 
were  borne  to  lowly  graves  along  the  banks  of  that  fatal 
river ;  and  at  times  one  might  sit  in  the  door  of  his  tent 
and  see  as  many  as  six  or  seven  funeral  parties  bearing 
comrades  to  their  humble  resting  places. 

Hospital  steamers  plied  constantly  from  the  White 
House  to  Washington,  Alexandria  and  Philadelphia,  bear 
ing  thousands  of  these  victims  of  disease;  and  many,  with 
stoic  indiiference,  lay  down  in  their  shelter  tents  and 
gave  themselves  over  to  death,  without  even  applying  to 
comrades  or  surgeons  for  assistance. 

Everywhere  at  the  north,  men  were  seen  on  cars  and 
steamers,  on  the  streets  and  in  the  houses,  whose  sallow 


PROGRESS    OF   THE   SIEGE.  75 

countenances,  emaciated  appearance,  and  tottering  steps, 
marked  them  as  the  victims  of  "  Chickahominy  fever." 
Express  cars  groaned  with  the  weight  of  coffins  contain 
ing  the  remains  of  youths  who  but  a  few  months  before 
had  gone  to  the  war  in  the  pride  of  their  strength,  and  had 
now  yielded,  not  to  the  bullets  of  the  enemy,  but  to  the 
grim  spirit  which  hovered  over  that  river  of  death. 

Our  army  seemed  on  the  point  of  annihilation  from 
disease ;  and  matters  were  constantly  growing  worse.  At 
White  House  landing,  great  temporary  hospitals  were 
established,  where  hundreds  languished,  and  waited  their 
turn  to  be  sent  north. 

Thus,  for  nearly  a  month,  the  two  armies  looked  each 
other  in  the  face,  each  engaged  in  throwing  up  defenses 
against  the  approach  of  the  other,  but  neither  attempting 
to  bring  on  any  general  engagement.  The  pickets  of  the 
two  opposing  forces  were  within  speaking  distance,  but 
they  contented  themselves  with  watching  each  other,  and, 
as  a  general  rule,  amicable  relations  existed  between  them. 
But  occasionally,  when  a  belligerent  regiment  would  be 
on  picket  on  one  or  the  other  side,  some  fellow,  who 
imagined  he  had  a  capital  chance  to  pick  off  an  opposing 
picket,  would  blaze  away ;  when  in  a  moment  the  whole 
line  on  either  side  would  flash  with  the  discharge  of  mus 
ketry.  Night  demonstrations  on  the  part  of  the  enemy 
were  so  common,  that  it  was  a  rare  thing  for  our  troops 
not  to  turn  out  at  midnight,  or  at  two  or  three  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  and  stand  under  arms  until  after  daylight. 

The  men  of  our  Third  brigade  were  a  part  of  the  time 
engaged  in  building  a  strong  fort,  near  the  river  bank, 
which,  in  honor  of  our  dashing  brigadier,  was  named  Fort 
Davidson. 

A  new  regiment  was  added  to  Davidson's  brigade 
during  the  month  of  June,  the  Twentieth  New  York. 
The  regiment  was  composed  entirely  of  German  Turners. 


76  A    GERMAN    REGIMENT STUART?' S    RAID. 

Nearly  every  man  had  served  his  three  years  in  the  Prus 
sian  service. 

They  had  been  stationed  in  the  works  at  Newport 
News,  and  their  drill  excelled  anything  in  the  army, 
either  in  the  regular  or  volunteer  branch  of  service. 
Their  full  ranks,  and  their  unsoiled  uniforms,  were  in 
striking  contrast  with  the  shattered  and  worn-out  regi 
ments  forming  the  rest  of  the  brigade. 

Among  the  causes  of  discouragement  and  anxiety  for 
the  safety  of  our  army,  was  the  notorious  raid  of  General 
Stuart  in  our  rear.  This  energetic  officer,  with  a  body  of 
about  two  thousand  rebel  cavalry,  had  swept  round  our 
entire  rear,  causing  something  of  a  panic,  not  only  at 
White  House,  where  all  the  shipping  dropped  down  the 
river,  but  in  the  ranks  of  the  army,  where  it  was  feared 
that  our  communications  were  destroyed,  and  we  were 
liable  to  be  hemmed  in  and  overthrown  at  any  time. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  SEVEN  DAYS'  BATTLES. 

The  army  united— Plans  and  counter  plans  — Battle  of  Fair  Oaks— Lee's  plan  — 
The  situation— Stonewall  Jackson  on  the  flank— Battle  of  Mechanicsville— Joy 
in  camp  — Porter's  corps  retreats— An  astonished  army  — Battle  of  Games'  Farm 
— Slocum's  division  at  Games'  Farm  —  Retreat  to  the  river— Battle  of  Golden's 
Farm— A  young  hero— A  Union  victory— Our  right  exposed— The  sick  aban 
doned—A  night  of  sorrow— The  grand  retreat  commenced— Sad  scenes  at 
Savage's  Station— A  meteor  railroad  train. 

AT  length,  after  great  labor,  the  bridge  across  the  river, 
near  our  own  camps,  was  finished.  It  was  an  immense 
structure,  spanning  not  only  the  river,  but  the  swampy 
banks  on  either  side  to  a  great  distance.  Sumner's  forces 
had  also  rebuilt  and  enlarged  the  bridge  below,  and  now 
the  two  wings  of  the  army,  after  weeks  of  separation, 
were  united  by  means  of  these  bridges.  Communications 
were  now  rapid  and  easy,  and  there  was  no  difficulty  in 
reinforcing  one  wing  with  troops  from  the  other. 

General  McClellan  now  determined  to  act;  and  an 
advance  of  our  picket  line  was  ordered  on  the  25th  of 
June,  preparatory  to  a  general  forward  movement. 

But  General  McClellan  was  not  alone  in  deciding  upon 
this  particular  time  for  commencing  oiFensive  operations. 

General  Lee,  who  had  succeeded  to  the  command  of 
the  rebel  army  when  Johnston  was  wounded,  aware  of 
McClellan's  intentions  of  approaching  the  city  by  regular 
approaches,  and  aware  that  it  was  in  no  condition  long  to 
withstand  a  siege,  determined  to  act  on  the  offensive. 

The  two  armies  were  now  about  equal  in  numbers,  each 
consisting  of  a  little  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  men 


78  BATTLE    OF   FAIR   OAKS. 

for  duty.*  Our  own  army  had  recently  been  reinforced 
by  McCall's  division,  and  five  or  six  thousand  troops  from 
Fortress  Monroe ;  and  the  rebel  army  had  been  strength 
ened  by  the  accession  of  Jackson's  force,  of  nearly  twenty 
thousand,  from  the  valley. 

McClellan's  first  move  was  to  advance  the  left  wing, 
under  Heintzelman,  who  occupied  the  ground  on  which 
had  been  fought  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks.  General  Hooker 
was  ordered  to  advance  his  division  about  a  mile  across  a 
clearing  in  his  front.  This  the  gallant  general  essayed  to  do. 

In  front  of  his  camp,  before  reaching  the  clearing,  was 
a  thick  entanglement  of  low  pines  and  bushes,  filled  with 
swamps  and  ponds.  This  chaparral  was  about  five  hund 
red  yards  wide.  Beyond  was  the  clearing,  in  which  were 
the  rifle  pits  and  strong  redoubts  of  the  enemy,  and  still 
farther  on  a  forest.  Hooker's  brigades,  commanded  by 
Sickles,  Grover  and  Robinson,  protected  on  the  left  flank 
by  Kearney's  division,  and  on  the  right  by  a  Massachu 
setts  regiment,  moved  into  the  tangled  forest,  about  eight 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  25th.  Grover's  pickets 
soon  fell  in  with  those  of  the  enemy,  and  sharp  skirmish 
ing  commenced;  but  the  rebel  picket  line  was  steadily 
driven  back  into  the  clearing,  where  it  was  strengthened 
by  their  reserve.  The  fighting  now  became  general.  The 
woods  rang  with  the  sharp  sounds  of  musketry  and 
the  deep  tones  of  the  artillery,  and  clouds  of  smoke 
obscured  the  scene  from  view.  Ambulances  were  emerg 
ing  from  the  woods  bearing  the  wounded ;  and  bloody 
forms  on  stretchers,  and  the  less  seriously  wounded  lean 
ing  on  the  shoulders  of  comrades,  made  up  a  melancholy 
procession. 

The  fire  in  the  edge  of  the  woods  and  in  the  open  fields 
increased  in  intensity,  until  all  of  Hooker's  and  part  of 

*  Our  army  had  115,000  men  for  duty. 


79 

Kearney's  forces  were  brought  into  action.  The  rebels 
finally  retreated  across  the  field  to  the  cover  of  their  rifle 
pits.  The  retreat  was  slow  and  orderly,  every  foot  of  the 
way  being  disputed, 

Our  men  were  exultingly  pushing  forward,  determined 
to  drive  them  from  their  pits  also,  when  an  order  from 
General  McClellan  directed  General  Hooker  to  retire  with 
his  division  to  the  original  position.  Here  was  evidently 
a  sad  misconception  of  the  state  of  affairs,  for,  when  the 
Commander-in- Chief,  an  hour  later,  arrived  on  the  field 
and  consulted  with  General  Hooker,  the  men  were  ordered 
forward  once  more  to  occupy  the  ground  they  had  once 
taken  and  surrendered. 

This  time  there  was  less  resistance.  The  rebels  steadily 
gave  way,  giving  up  their  rifle  pits  and  yielding  the  whole 
of  the  open  field.  Under  cover  of  the  forest  beyond  the 
field  they  made  another  stand,  and  late  in  the  afternoon  a 
brigade  charged  upon  our  lines ;  but  they  were  bravely 
met  by  men  of  Grover's  brigade,  and  driven  back,  leaving 
three  hundred  of  their  dead  on  the  field. 

By  the  action  of  this  day,  our  line  was  advanced  on  the 
left  nearly  a  mile.  The  victory,  such  as  it  was,  cost  us  six 
hundred  and  forty  men  in  killed  and  wounded.  The  men 
remained  under  arms  all  night,  in  readiness  to  meet  the 
frequent  sorties  of  the  enemy,  who  intended  nothing  more 
serious  than  preventing  reinforcements  from  being  sent  to 
the  right  of  our  line. 

Little  did  General  Lee  heed  these  operations  on  our  left. 
It  was  all  the  better  for  his  plan  that  the  attention  of  our 
army  should  be  engaged  in  this  direction.  He  was  ready 
now  to  execute  his  plan  of  raising  the  siege  of  Richmond ; 
and  a  tremendous  force  had  been  massed  against  our  right, 
ready  to  advance  upon  it  and  our  rear,  with  the  hope  of 
cutting  the  Union  army  off  from  its  supplies,  and  placing 
it  in  the  greatest  jeopardy. 


80  THE    SITUATION. 

Let  us,  for  a  moment,  recall  the  position  of  our  army, 
which,  since  the  first  battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  has  been  some 
what  changed.  Porter's  corps,  consisting  of  McCalPs, 
Morrell's  and  Sykes'  divisions,  still  held  the  right,  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  Chickahominy,  at  Games'  Farm  and 
Mechanicsville.  The  several  bridges  which  had  been 
constructed  since  the  1st  of  June,  formed  avenues  of 
communication  between  the  two  portions  of  the  army 
separated  by  the  river.  Next,  near  the  river,  and  opposite 
Porter's  corps,  was  our  own  Sixth  corps,  Slocum's  and 
Smith's  divisions,  Smith's  nearest  the  stream.  Then,  on 
our  left  was  Simmer's  corps,  Sedg wick's  and  Richardson's 
divisions ;  and  finally,  on  the  left  of  all,  was  Heintzelman, 
with  his  divisions  under  Hooker  and  Kearney,  and  Couch's 
division,  of  Keyes'  corps.  Casey's  shattered  division  was 
in  the  rear,  guarding  Bottom's  Bridge  and  the  road  to  the 
White  House. 

The  line  stretched  from  Mechanicsville  across  the  river 
to  Golden's  Farm,  and  thence  to  Fair  Oaks. 

The  whole  of  this  extensive  line  was  protected  by 
earthworks  of  marvelous  magnitude,  and  whole  forests  of 
timber  slashed  in  front  of  some  parts  of  the  line  formed 
almost  impenetrable  abattis. 

On  the  other  hand,  Lee's  army  had  been  as  actively 
engaged  in  ditching  and  throwing  up  redoubts,  and  Rich 
mond  was  surrounded  by  a  cordon  of  most  powerful 
works.  Stonewall  Jackson  had  been  recalled  from  the 
Shenandoah  Valley ;  and  now,  with  an  army  of  thirty 
thousand  men,  a  very  large  proportion  of  them  being  men 
of  his  original  army,  he  hung  upon  our  right  and  rear, 
ready  to  come  down  upon  our  communications  and  flank 
like  an  avalanche. 

Scarcely  had  General  McClellan  finished  his  dispatch  to 
the  Secretary  of  War,  in  which  he  announced  the  glad 
tidings  that  he  had  got  his  pickets  in  the  right  place, 


STONEWALL   JACKSON    ON   THE    FLANK.  81 

preparatory  to  a  general  advance,  before  he  was  aroused 
from  his  illusion  by  the  intelligence  that  the  pickets  on  the 
right  were  being  driven  in.  He  had  already,  during 
the  day,  learned  something  of  Jackson's  position,  and  it 
was  now  easy  to  divine  the  intention  of  that  energetic  chief. 
During  the  night,  Hill  and  Longstreet  crossed  the 
upper  Chickahominy ;  and,  by  rapid  marches,  confronted 
the  pickets  of  McCall's  division  at  Mechanicsville  before 
daylight  on  the  morning  of  the  26th.  Jackson,  delayed 
by  our  skirmishers,  was  still  behind.  Without  waiting  for 
Jackson,  Hill  ordered  an  attack  by  daylight.  Our  pickets 
were  forced  back  upon  the  main  line,  and  the  battle  of 
Mechanicsville  commenced.  McCall's  division,  consist 
ing  of  Reynolds',  Meade's  and  Seymour's  brigades,  was 
strongly  posted  behind  Beaver  Dam  creek;  a  stream  about 
twelve  feet  wide,  wooded  on  either  side,  with  water  waist 
deep,  and  a  steep  bank  on  the  side  held  by  the  Union 
forces.  Along  this  bank,  timber  had  been  felled,  rifle  pits 
dug,  and  other  careful  preparations  made  for  meeting  an 
attack.  The  only  accessible  places  for  artillery  were  the 
two  roads  which  crossed  the  stream,  one  at  Ellison's  Mills, 
and  the  other  a  mile  above.  Against  these  two  points 
the  rebels  directed  their  principal  efforts.  Hill's  division 
made  the  first  assault.  Clearing  their  rifle  pits,  his  men 
rushed  forward  with  a  yell,  gaining  the  creek,  within  a 
hundred  yards  of  our  line.  Here  the  creek  and  the 
almost  impenetrable  abattis  checked  their  progress,  and  a 
murderous  fire  of  shot,  shells,  cannister  and  musketry  was 
opened  upon  them,  which  threw  them  into  confusion,  and 
repulsed  them  with  fearful  loss.  Again  and  again  the 
charge  was  renewed ;  each  time  with  equal  want  of  suc 
cess.  More  and  more  grand  and  terrible  the  battle 
became,  as  the  combatants  struggled  with  each  other  at 
close  range.  Thus  far  there  had  been  no  such  terrific 
artillery  firing  during  the  war.  The  uproar  was  incessant, 
11 


82  BATTLE    OF    MECHANICS YILLE. 

and  sublime  beyond  description.  Finding  the  position 
too  strong  to  be  carried  by  direct  assault,  the  confederates 
fell  back  to  their  rifle  pits ;  leaving  their  many  dead  and 
wounded  on  the  ground.  The  men  of  McCall's  division, 
securely  posted  behind  their  breastworks,  had  suffered 
comparatively  little ;  our  loss  not  exceeding  three  hundred 
in  killed  and  wounded,  oat  of  the  six  thousand  belonging 
to  the  brigades  engaged. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  rebels  had  lost  heavily.  From 
their  own  official  reports,  it  is  known  that  of  the  twelve 
thousand  engaged,  the  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  was 
fifteen  hundred ;  Ripley's  single  brigade  losing  five  hund 
red  and  seventy-four  men. 

Both  Davis  and  Lee  were  present  on  the  field,  directing 
in  person  the  movements,  and  exposed  to  the  fire  where 
the  battle  was  fiercest.  General  McClellan  was  at  the 
head-quarters  of  General  Porter,  where  he  remained  until 
the  close  of  the  battle,  when  he  rode  over  the  field. 

From  the  camp  of  the  Sixth  corps,  the  battle-field  was 
not  more  than  four  or  five  miles  distant  in  a  direct  line, 
though  by  way  of  the  bridge  it  was  much  farther. 

We  could  watch  the  columns  of  smoke  as  they  rolled 
up  from  the  scene  of  carnage,  and  see  the  flashes  of  burst 
ing  shells,  like  sheets  of  lightning  in  dark  thunder-clouds, 
and  hear  the  tremendous  roar  of  arms.  In  the  afternoon, 
as  the  rebels  charged  upon  a  certain  part  of  our  lines,  we 
could  watch  the  movements  of  both  armies.  Our  only 
part  in  the  engagement  was  to  stand  to  arms,  ready  to 
rush  to  the  assistance  of  those  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  at  a  moment's  notice.  In  the  evening,  the  news  of 
our  success  spread  through  the  army,  creating  the  wildest 
joy.  Men  who  had,  by  constant  hardships,  and  by  con 
tinually  looking  on  death,  almost  forgotten  the  feelings 
of  joy,  now  broke  out  in  loud  shouts  of  gladness ;  and  for 
the  first  time  in  many  weeks  the  bands  played  those  heart- 


JOY  IN  CAMP.  8:; 

stirring  national  airs,  which  in  times  past  had  been  wont 
to  fill  the  hearts  of  the  soldiers  with  enthusiasm. 

The  night  passed  in  constant  watchfulness,  the  men 
resting  upon  their  arms;  for  a  renewal  of  the  attack 
might  be  expected  at  any  moment.  Still,  the  men  of  the 
whole  of  the  left  wing  of  the  army  were  exulting  in 
the  glad  hope  that  in  the  morning  we  were  to  march  into 
Richmond,  almost  without  opposition ;  and  that  their  high 
hopes  of  success  were  to  be  speedily  realized.  The  prize 
which  they  had  so  often  been  promised,  seemed  almost 
within  their  grasp.  Men  shook  hands  with  each  other, 
sung  patriotic  songs,  and  shouted  in  greatest  glee. 

Bands  continued  to  ring  out  their  notes  of  gladness 
until  long  after  nightfall ;  general  officers  rode  about 
announcing  a  grand  victory;  all  was  the  most  intense 
excitement;  and  the  men  lay  down  upon  their  arms  to 
dream  of  reveling  in  the  streets  of  Richmond  before 
another  night.  For  weeks,  even  the  drum  calls  and  the 
bugle  notes  had  not  been  heard  in  our  camps.  Now,  as 
if  suddenly  waked  from  a  long  slumber,  the  strains  of  the 
bugle  and  the  roll  of  the  drum  were  added  to  the  general 
rejoicing. 

It  was  known  that  the  rebel  troops  engaged  were  not 
those  of  Jackson.  He  then  must  be  working  around  to  our 
rear.  He  was  known  to  have  a  very  large  force ;  not  less 
than  thirty  thousand.  It  was  evident  that  our  communica 
tions  were  in  great  danger,  and  that  unless  the  main  force 
of  our  army,  now  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Chickahominy, 
were  hastily  concentrated  on  the  left  bank,  we  could  not 
expect  to  hold  the  line  to  the  Pamunkey  another  day.  If 
this  were  done,  the  rebels  could  easily  prevent  our  retreat  to 
the  James  river,  and  leave  us  on  the  banks  of  the  Pamunkey. 
Accordingly,  General  McClellan  gave  up  all  hope  of  being 
able  to  maintain  the  position  of  that  portion  of  the  army 
on.  the  north  side  of  the  Chickahominy,  and  at  once  issued 


84  WHITE    HOUSE    ABANDONED. 

orders  with  a  view  of  preparing  for  a  change  of  base. 
The  quartermaster  at  White  House  was  directed  to  "send 
cars  to  the  last  moment,  and  load  them  with  provisions 
and  ammunition."  "Load  every  wagon  you  have,"  said 
the  dispatch,  "with  subsistence,  and  send  them  to  Savage's 
Station.  If  you  are  obliged  to  abandon  White  House, 
burn  everything  you  cannot  get  off." 

The  quartermaster  was  directed,  also,  to  throw  all  his 
supplies,  not  burned  or  sent  to  the  army,  up  the  James 
river,  and  there  establish  depots  of  supplies.  General 
Casey,  who  was  now  in  command  of  the  guard  at  White 
House,  was  instructed  to  see  these  orders  carried  out.  He 
burned  immense  quantities  of  stores,  consisting  of  cloth 
ing,  subsistence,  and  other  war  material,  and  then  hastily 
marched  his  force  to  rejoin  the  army. 

The  evening  of  the  26th  was  passed  in  gladness  over 
our  victory;  but  while  the  army  was  rejoicing  at  this 
temporary  success,  it  was  losing  one  of  the  grandest 
opportunities  ever  presented  it  for  entering  the  rebel 
capital.  The  whole  plan  of  Lee  had  been  based  upon  a 
false  calculation ;  and  had  this  mistake  been  improved  by 
our  commanders,  the  history  of  the  war  would  have  been 
entirely  changed.  Both  Lee  and  Davis  believed  that 
the  main  body  of  our  army  was  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Chickahominy ;  whereas,  of  the  five  corps  constituting 
our  army,  only  one,  that  of  Porter,  remained  on  that  side. 
Under  this  erroneous  impression,  Lee  had  brought  nearly 
the  whole  of  his  army  across  the  river  to  assail  the  Union 
army  on  its  right.  This  was  known  to  our  generals,  for 
while  positive  information  had  been  received  that  Jackson, 
with  his  large  army,  was  making  for  our  rear,  the  prisoners 
taken  during  the  day  were  from  Hill's  command,  and  from 
them  it  was  known  that  the  troops  of  A.  P.  Hill,  Long- 
street  and  D.  H.  Hill,  were  confronting  us  on  the  right. 
Thus,  between  our  main  force,  of  over  seventy-six  thou- 


85 

sand  men,  and  Richmond,  less  than  twenty-five  thousand 
rebels  guarded  their  extensive  line  of  works.  A  concen 
trated  assault  of  the  four  corps  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river  must  have  resulted  in  the  utter  rout  of  the  force 
opposed  to  them,  and  the  road  to  Richmond  would  have 
been  opened. 

But  the  error  of  General  Lee  was  never  suspected,  and 
this  grand  opportunity  was  lost. 

During  the  night  of  the  26th,  the  heavy  artillery  and 
baggage  of  Porter's  corps  was  all  sent  across  the  river. 
McCall's  whole  division,  except  a  line  of  pickets  left  as  a 
blind,  also  fell  back  five  miles  below,  to  the  vicinity  of  the 
bridge  at  Games'  Farm,  where  the  three  divisions  of 
the  corps  united. 

The  astonishment  of  the  men  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river  on  discovering,  in  the  morning,  that  Porter's  corps 
had  fallen  back,  was  only  equaled  by  their  mortification 
and  disappointment,  as  they  saw  the  long  lines  of  rebels 
advancing  in  the  gray  of  the  morning  against  our  retreat 
ing  column. 

They  had  believed,  when  night  came  on,  that  our  arms 
had  achieved  the  first  of  a  series  of  victories  which  was 
to  give  us  the  rebel  capital.  Now  they  saw  that  our  army 
was  already  in  retreat,  and  they  gazed  at  the  long  train 
of  artillery  and  wagons,  which  had  parked  near  us,  with 
downcast  faces.  From  our  camp,  Porter's  division  could 
be  distinctly  seen,  and  we  could  watch  the  movements  of 
the  rebels  as  they  arrived  upon  the  highlands,  formed 
their  line  on  the  range  of  hills  opposite  Porter,  and 
planted  their  guns  near  the  large  barn  on  Dr.  Games'  farm. 

The  position  of  Porter's  corps  was  a  strong  one ;  and 
he  was  ordered  to  hold  it  till  night,  and  then  to  cross  the 
bridge  and  burn  it  after  him;  the  upper  bridge  having 
been  burned  during  the  night.  The  country  between  the 
two  lines  was  rolling,  somewhat  wooded,  but  in  parts 


86 

cleared.  Both  parties  went  to  work  to  cut  down  trees  in 
their  front. 

The  rebel  forces,  who  supposed  on  the  26th  that  they 
were  fighting  our  main  army,  were  surprised,  on  the  morn 
ing  of  the  27th,  to  find  that  only  a  picket  line  opposed 
them.  They  were  early  astir ;  and  advancing  against  the 
slender  line,  drove  it  back.  The  whole  rebel  force 
advanced  cautiously;  A.  P.  Hill  and  Longstreet  bearing 
to  the  right,  while  D.  H.  Hill  turned  to  the  left,  to  unite 
with  Jackson,  who  was  supposed  to  be  coming  in  from  the 
rear.  Owing  to  the  uneven  country  over  which  they  were 
advancing,  their  march  was  slow;  for  they  might  fall 
upon  a  Union  line  of  battle  behind  any  rounding  swell  of 
land. 

It  was  afternoon  before  the  rebel  army  had  fully  formed 
its  line  on  Games'  Farm.  The  position  of  that  army  was 
nearly  that  of  the  same  army  when  Grant  attacked  it  at 
Coal  Harbor  two  years  later,  only  it  was  faced  about. 
The  battle  opened  about  one  o'clock,  by  skirmishing  on 
both  sides ;  but  it  was  not  till  an  hour  later  that  Hill's 
division  dashed  across  the  open  space,  rushing  through 
the  swamp,  and  under  a  severe  fire  from  our  batteries  and 
musketry,  pushed  up  the  slope  on  which  was  posted  our 
line.  The  confederate  troops  advanced  almost  up  to 
Sykes'  line  of  battle  on  the  right,  and  in  other  parts  of 
the  line  actually  forced  back  the  Union  troops ;  but  they 
were  able  to  hold  their  position  only  a  short  time,  when 
they  were  forced  back  with  great  loss. 

Longstreet  now  advanced  against  the  left  of  our  line, 
but  he  too  met  with  a  stern  reception,  and  he  withdrew  to 
rearrange  his  plan  of  attack. 

By  this  time  Jackson  was  approaching,  and  now  the 
overwhelming  forces  of  the  enemy  promised  to  crush 
the  single  corps ;  but  Slocum's  division  of  our  Sixth  corps 
was  ordered  to  the  relief  of  the  Fifth  corps,  and  arrived 


SLOCUM'S  DIVISION  AT  GAINES'  FARM.  87 

at  four  o'clock.  The  division  was  sent  into  the  fight  at 
once,  each  brigade  being  ordered  separately  to  strengthen 
the  weak  points  of  the  line.  Thus,  while  the  division 
fought  bravely,  and  suffered  equally  in  proportion  with  the 
Fifth  corps,  its  incorporation  with  that  corps  for  the  time 
deprived  it  of  the  honors  to  which  it  was  justly  entitled. 

Bartlett,  with  his  brigade,  went  to  the  aid  of  Sykes,  who 
was  doubtfully  struggling  to  hold  his  line ;  but  who  now, 
by  the  aid  of  the  gallant  brigade,  was  able  to  hurl  the 
assailants  back  from  his  front. 

The  rebel  line  being  completed,  Longstreet,  A.  P.  Hill, 
and  Jackson  all  up  with  their  troops,  a  general  advance 
was-  made. 

The  charge  was  made  with  great  spirit,  the  rebels 
rushing  over  the  open  ground  and  floundering  through 
the  swamp  under  a  most  writhing  fire,  but  the  position  of 
our  forces  was  still  too  strong  for  them.  At  all  points 
they  were  repulsed  with  terrible  slaughter.  First  on  the 
right,  where  Sykes'  regulars,  supported  by  Bartlett's  brig 
ade,  withstood  the  onset  of  Hill,  the  disordered  and 
disheartened  confederates  began  to  scatter  in  all  direc 
tions. 

One  of  the  confederate  generals  reported  that  had  not 
his  men  fallen  back  themselves  he  would  have  ordered  it. 
"  Men  were  leaving  the  field,"  says  another  general,  "  in 
every  direction ;  two  regiments  *  *  *  were  actually 
marching  back  under  fire.  Men  were  skulking  from  the 
woods  in  a  shameful  manner.  The  woods  on  our  left  and 
rear  were  full  of  troops  in  safe  cover,  from  which  they 
never  stirred."  Such  was  the  effect  of  the  reception  given 
by  the  regulars.  On  our  left  they  met  with  no  better 
success.  These,  too,  fell  back  in  disorder.  Now  a  des 
perate  attempt  was  made  against  our  center.  The  tactics 
with  which  we  afterwards  became  so  familiar  on  the  part 
of  the  rebels  were  brought  to  bear.  This  was  in  massing 


88  A   DOUBTFUL   STRUGGLE. 

troops  against  certain  parts  of  our  line  and  making 
desperate  onslaughts  with  a  view  of  breaking  the  line. 
The  forces  of  Jackson,  Hill  and  Longstreet  threw  them 
selves  fiercely  against  our  works,  but  without  being  able  to 
drive  our  men  back.  Here  it  was  that  the  First  and  Third 
brigades  of  Slocum's  division  saved  the  wavering  line,  and 
all  the  fury  of  the  rebels  was  spent  in  vain.  General  Porter 
directed  Newton's  brigade  to  its  position  in  the  center ; 
Newton  leading  the  Thirty-first  New  York  and  Ninety- 
fifth  Pennsylvania  into  the  woods  on  one  side,  and  the 
gallant  Colonel  Matheson  with  the  Eighteenth  and  Thirty- 
second  entering  on  the  other,  both  in  the  face  of  a 
destructive  fire.  The  rebels  charged  upon  the  brigade 
and  gallantly  the  charge  was  met.  Newton,  seeing  the 
rebel  line  waver  before  the  fire  of  his  men,  shouted  "  For 
ward!"  and  the  impetuous  regiments  cleared  the  woods 
and  drove  the  rebels  more  than  seven  hundred  yards. 
But  the  confederates,  reinforced,  pressed  hard  upon  them 
with  overwhelming  numbers,  and  Newton  demanded  aid. 
Regiments  from  the  New  Jersey  brigade  rushed  to  the 
assistance  of  their  brothers  of  the  Third  brigade,  cheering 
as  they  advanced,  and  the  position  was  held  until  the  left 
wing  of  Porter's  corps  gave  way.  For  two  hours  the  con 
flict  on  this  part  of  the  line  raged  with  terrible  violence  ; 
the.  columns  surging  backward  and  forward,  neither  party 
being  able  to  gain  any  permanent  advantage.  Never  had 
we  heard  such  volleys  of  musketry  as  now  rolled  along  the 
borders  of  the  swampy  Chickahominy.  Artillery  was  less 
used ;  a  strip  of  pine  woods  intervening  between  the  posi 
tion  occupied  by  some  of  our  batteries  and  the  rebel  line 
preventing  an  accurate  range.  The  attempt  to  break  our 
center  was  abandoned,  and  now  immense  forces  were 
brought  against  the  left.  The  roar  of  battle  became  more 
loud  than  before.  The  thousand  continuous  volleys  of  mus 
ketry  mingled  in  one  grand  tumultuous  concert  of  death ; 


RETREAT   TO   THE    EIVER.  89 

while  the  booming  of  artillery,  which  was  now  brought 
more  into  action,  shook  the  earth  for  miles  around.  Under 
the  pressure  of  overwhelming  numbers,  one  brigade  gave 
way ;  and  another  on  the  extreme  left,  finding  itself  out 
flanked,  fought  its  way  back  to  the  upper  bridge,  which 
had  been  partially  destroyed  during  the  night,  and,  cross 
ing  to  the  south  side  of  the  river,  gathered  its  shattered 
regiments  behind  the  breastworks  of  our  Second  division. 

For  two  hours  and  a  half  the  battle  had  raged  fiercely 
on  this  part  of  the  line,  and  as  these  brigades  on  the 
right  gave  way,  the  confusion  spread  all  along.  The 
rebels,  seeing  the  disorder,  and  encouraged  by  their  suc 
cess  on  the  left,  came  on  with  redoubled  fury ;  and  the 
whole  line  gave  way,  and  fell  back  to  some  high  grounds 
near  the  bridge.  Here  two  brigades  from  the  Third  corps 
appeared  as  reinforcements,  and  the  retreat  was  checked. 
The  Fifth  corps,  with  Slocum's  division  and  the  two 
brigades  from  the  Third  corps,  were  able  to  hold  their 
position  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  till  after  dark. 

But  we  had  been  beaten,  and  our  losses  were  very 
great.  Twenty-two  pieces  of  artillery  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  enemy.  We  lost  two  thousand  prisoners,  among 
whom  was  General  Reynolds,  commanding  one  of  McCalPs 
brigades;  and  our  killed  and  wounded  numbered  about 
four  thousand.  The  rebels  had  suffered  greater  losses  in 
men,  nine  thousand  five  hundred  having  been  killed  or 
wounded.  The  action,  on  the  part  of  the  rebels,  had  been 
directed  by  General  Lee  in  person,  who  was  on  the  field 
during  the  whole  action,  controlling  the  movements  of  his 
troops,  and  attending  to  the  details  of  the  fight.  On  our 
part,  the  battle  had  been  fought  entirely  under  the  direc 
tion  of  General  Porter.  General  McClellan,  believing  he 
could  best  watch  the  movements  at  all  parts  of  his  line 
from  a  central  position,  had  remained  during  the  day  at 
the  Trent  House,  five  miles  from  the  scene  of  action, 
12 


90  BATTLE    OF   GOLDEN'S   FAKM. 

without  deeming  it  necessary  even  to  ride  down  to  the 
river  by  the  Woodbury  bridge.* 

Meantime,  while  the  battle  raged  with  fury  on  the  north 
side  of  the  Chickahominy,  there  was  active  work  in  our 
own  front.  Our  Second  division,  at  Golden's  Farm,  was 
joined  on  the  left  by  Sedgwick's  division,  of  the  Third 
corps.  The  two  divisions  held  the  key  to  Richmond ;  for, 
had  the  brave  men  composing  them,  under  the  leadership 
of  such  men  as  Smith  and  Sedgwick,  been  ordered  to 
break  through  the  rebel  line,  there  was  no  power  in  their 
front  to  restrain  them.  The  rebels,  aware  of  this,  and 
designing  to  prevent  reinforcements  from  going  to  Porter, 
made  frequent  feints  all  along  our  line.  Now  with  pick 
ets,  and  anon,  gathering  a  considerable  force,  they  would 
advance  upon  some  part  of  our  works.  From  the  nature 
of  the  ground,  they  could  appear  in  large  force  at  one 
point,  then  withdrawing,  pass  undjer  cover  of  the  woods 
and  reappear  at  another  point ;  thus  keeping  up  the  idea 
of  a  large  force. 

These  skirmishes  and  the  artillery  duels  had  been  kept 
up  all  day,  to  the  annoyance  of  all. 

Just  at  sunset,  Davidson's  brigade  was  ordered  to  cross 
the  river,  by  the  Woodbury  bridge,  to  reinforce  the  Fifth 
corps.  Preparations  for  moving  were  not  complete,  when 
the  enemy  opened  a  fierce  fire  of  artillery  and  musketry. 
The  idea  of  reinforcing  the  Fifth  corps  was  at  once  aban 
doned,  and  we  hastily  took  refuge  from  the  howling 
missiles  behind  our  breastworks.  The  artillery  firing 
increased,  until  the  scene  became  in  the  highest  degree 
exciting. 

Our  guns  were  answering  the  rebels  with  great  spirit, 
hurling  shells  fast  and  furiously,  and  clouds  of  smoke 
rolled  up  from  both  the  opposing  lines.  At  length  the 

*  McClellan's  Eeport. 


PROGRESS    OF   THE   BATTLE.  91 

rebel  infantry  was  brought  forward  to  charge  our  line. 
Hancock's  brigade  of  our  Second  division,  and  Burns'  of 
Sedgwick's  division,  were  farthest  in  advance.  Hancock 
had  taken  up  a  critical  position  in  front  of  the  line  of 
works,  where  his  brigade  was  supporting  a  strong  battery. 
Against  these  two  advance  brigades  the  enemy  pounced 
with  the  hope  of  routing  them  by  this  sudden  onset. 
Against  Hancock  they  made  the  most  desperate  attempt, 
but  with  no  success  further  than  driving  in  the  picket  line. 
In  return,  the  rebels  were  hurried  back  to  the  cover  of  the 
woods  from  whence  they  came,  leaving  many  dead  and 
wounded  on  the  field.  While  the  First  brigade  was  thus 
bravely  withstanding  the  assault  of  the  rebels,  the  Third 
brigade  and  the  Second  occupied  a  second  line,  acting  as 
support,  but  neither  were  actively  engaged ;  yet  several 
of  the  regiments  in  the  second  line  lost  men  by  the  shells. 

During  the  night  our  Third  brigade  relieved  Hancock's 
regiments  and  remained  in  possession  of  the  advanced 
position  until  afternoon  next  day.  We  had  moved  from 
our  old  position  while  the  fight  was  in  progress,  and  had 
left  everything  except  arms  and  ammunition. 

We  could  hear  the  sound  of  ambulances  in  the  front 
where  the  rebels  were  gathering  up  their  wounded,  till 
after  midnight;  and  toward  morning  they  made  a  sally 
upon  a  part  of  the  line,  but  were  quickly  repulsed. 

June  28th,  the  men  of  Davidson's  brigade  who  had  been 
ordered  the  day  before  to  leave  haversacks,  canteens, 
blankets  and  tents,  found  in  the  morning  that  their  camp 
was  occupied  by  another  division,  tired  and  hungry,  who 
had  lost  their  blankets  in  the  fights  of  the  two  days 
before,  and  who  had  now  appropriated  the  haversacks 
and  blankets  of  our  boys  to  their  own  use.  Some  con 
fusion  occurred  upon  making  this  discovery,  but  our  boys 
soon  helped  themselves  to  substitutes  and  bore  their  loss 
on  the  whole  very  patiently. 


92  A   YOUTHFUL   HEEO. 

Our  picket  line  was  relieved  at  9  A.  M.,  but  before  the 
whole  line  was  changed  the  rebel  batteries  opened  upon 
the  moving  companies  a  concentrated  fire  from  twenty 
pieces  of  artillery,  putting  a  stop  to  the  process.  Shot 
and  shell  came  tearing  through  our  camps  in  every  direc 
tion,  crashing  through  trees,  throwing  up  great  clouds  of 
dust,  riddling  tents  and  alarming  the  cooks  and  contra 
band  servants  who  remained  in  camp. 

This  artillery  practice  continued  for  an  hour  without 
eliciting  much  reply  from  our  side,  as  our  guns  had  been 
nearly  all  withdrawn  from  the  front  to  join  the  train 
preparatory  to  the  retreat. 

The  rebels  ceased  their  fire  and  we  inferred  that  they 
had  withdrawn  to  some  other  point;  but  at  two  o'clock 
the  mistake  was  discovered.  A  brigade  of  rebels  was 
seen  to  leap  over  their  breastworks  and  rush  toward  our 
line  with  yells  and  shouts  like  so  many  madmen.  Our 
picket  line  was  forced  back  before  this  impetuous  charge, 
the  pickets  retreating  to  the  main  line. 

The  Thirty-third  New  York  held  the  principal  part  of 
the  picket  line,  but  two  companies  from  the  Forty-ninth 
Pennsylvania  of  Hancock's  brigade,  and  a  detachment 
from  the  Seventy-seventh  New  York  also  guarded  a  part 
of  the  line  in  front  of  the  Second  division. 

A  part  of  the  detachment  from  the  Seventy-seventh 
held  a  small  advance  redoubt  or  lunette  which  had  been 
thrown  up  by  Hancock's  men.  Over  this  work  the  rebels 
rushed,  unmindful  of  the  bullets  sent  by  the  skirmishers, 
and  the  guard  was  compelled  to  retreat  in  haste. 

But  all  did  not  leave  that  picket  line. 

One  youth,  as  brave  a  boy  as  ever  shouldered  a  musket, 
John  Ham,  of  the  Seventy-seventh  regiment,  had  sworn 
never  to  retreat  before  the  enemy.  Faithful  to  his  word, 
when  the  handful  of  pickets  were  compelled  to  retreat 
(and  this  was  the  first  time  that  any  part  of  his  regiment 


THE    ENEMY   REPULSED.  93 

had  ever  fallen  back  before  the  enemy),  he  stood  his 
ground,  loading  and  firing  as  rapidly  as  possible,  alone 
defending  the  redoubt ! 

The  rebels  pressed  upon  him,  and  he  fell  riddled  with 
bullets.  When,  later  in  the  day,  we  had  driven  the  con 
federates  back  to  their  works,  we  recovered  his  body, 
pierced  by  bullets  and  bayonets. 

As  the  rebels  neared  our  main  line  of  battle,  they  were 
met  by  a  withering  fire  from  our  men,  and,  after  maintain 
ing  the  contest  for  a  few  moments,  they  broke  and  fled  in 
confusion,  leaving  the  ground  thickly  strewed  with  dead 
and  wounded.  Not  satisfied  with  this  repulse,  they 
reformed  and  came  on  again  ;  this  time  with  less  audacity 
than  at  first.  Again  a  murderous  fire  compelled  them  to 
fall  back,  leaving  more  of  their  number  on  the  field. 
Among  their  wounded  was  Colonel  Lamar,  who  was  in 
command  of  the  charging  regiments. 

He  was  brought  into  our  lines  by  Sergeant  Bemis  and 
another  soldier  of  the  Seventy-seventh.  He  had  been 
formerly  a  mischievous  member  of  congress  from  Georgia. 

The  final  repulse  of  the  rebels  was  made  more  complete 
and  more  fatal  to  them  by  the  timely  aid  of  a  section  of 
Mott's  battery,  which  had  come  up  and  opened  an  enfilading 
fire  upon  them  from  the  left.  Joyous  cheers  went  up  from 
our  men  as  they  saw  the  rebels  fleeing  in  all  directions, 
and  it  was  only  by  the  peremptory  orders  of  their  com 
manders  that  they  were  restrained  from  following  the 
flying  enemy. 

A  company  of  about  fifteen  rebels  threw  out  a  white  flag 
and  voluntarily  surrendered  themselves.  Fifty  dead  rebels 
and  one  hundred  wounded  remained  in  our  front,  whom 
their  comrades  were  allowed  to  remove,  under  flag  of  truce. 

The  Thirty-third  New  York  had,  during  this  engage 
ment,  sustained  the  principal  shock  of  the  enemy's  charge ; 
and  with  that  gallantry  for  which  they  bore  during  their 


94  OUR    FLANK    EXPOSED. 

two  years  of  service  an  enviable  reputation,  they  met  the 
charge  and  repulsed  the  enemy. 

By  the  retreat  of  the  Fifth  corps  to  the  south  side  of 
the  Chickahominy,  which  was  accomplished  during  the 
ni^ht  of  the  27th  and  28th,  the  rebel  army  was  allowed 
to  approach  the  river  at  Games'  Farm.  By'this  movement 
the  camps  of  Davidson's  brigade,  which  were  upon  the 
extreme  right  of  our  line,  near  the  river,  and  the  two  forts 
we  had  erected,  were  rendered  untenable ;  for  the  rebel 
guns  shelled  the  whole  position  with  ease.  Our  men 
went  in  squads  and  brought  away  the  most  valuable  prop 
erty,  including  regimental  papers  and  the  knapsacks  and 
blankets.  A  few  days  before  this,  our  whole  corps,  as 
well  as  the  other  corps  of  the  army,  had  been  supplied 
with  an  abundance  of  new  tents.  Staff  and  company 
officers  had  their  wall  tents,  and  the  private  soldiers  their 
shelters.  All  these  were  destroyed  by  cutting  them  with 
knives;  as  it  was  known  that  any  attempt  to  remove 
them  would  be  discovered  by  the  rebels,  who  would  at 
once  open  all  their  batteries  upon  us. 

Now,  the  feelings  of  the  men  underwent  a  terrible 
revolution.  It  was,  for  the  first  time,  told  them  that  the 
army  must  retreat  in  all  haste  to  the  James  river !  Our 
brave  fellows  had  looked  with  sad  faces  at  Porter's 
retreating  column;  but  that  was  felicity  compared  with 
what  they  now  experienced.  Even  when  the  right  wing 
was  forced  across  the  river,  they  still  had  faith  that  their 
bravery  was  to  be  rewarded  with  victory. 

Now,  they  felt  that  all  was  lost.  General  Davidson 
rode  through  the  camps,  and  announced  to  the  command 
ing  officers  of  his  regiments  the  mysterious  information, 
with  directions  to  get  off  a  few  valuable  articles  and 
abandon  all  else. 

Already,  by  Porter's  retreat,  the  brave  fellows  in  Liberty 
Hall  Hospital,  mangled  and  sick,  groaning  with  wounds, 


THE    SIEGE    OF   KICHMOND   ABANDONED.  95 

and  delirious  with  fevers,  were  abandoned,  deserted,  to  fall 
into  the  hands  of  an  enemy  known  to  be  merciless. 

And  now  the  siege  of  Richmond  was  to  be  abandoned, 
and  the  men  who  but  two  days  before  had  exulted  in  the 
glad  hope  of  a  speedy  entrance  into  the  city,  which  even 
now  lay  just  within  our  grasp,  were  to  turn  their  backs  as 
fugitives  before  their  enemies  !  It  was  a  time  of  humilia 
tion  and  sorrow.  Every  man  was  weighed  down  with  a 
terrible  anxiety.  Officers  hurried  to  and  fro,  silently  and 
hastily  forwarding  the  preparations  for  the  retreat.  The 
great  caravan  of  army  trains  was  on  its  way  under  the 
direction  of  scores  of  officers,  and  with  it  were  escorts  of 
cavalry  and  infantry. 

At  three  o'clock  Sunday  morning  the  29th,  the  Sixth 
corps  quietly  evacuated  its  works  and  proceeded  in  the 
direction  of  Savage's  Station.  The  men  slung  their  knap 
sacks  and  quietly  moved  off.  A  scene  of  desolation  met 
their  view  as  they  passed  along.  Tents  cut  to  pieces, 
commissary  stores  thrown  upon  the  ground  or  burning  in 
heaps,  blankets  and  clothing  piled  promiscuously  about, 
not  considered  worth  carrying  away;  all  indicating  a 
retreat  under  most  disastrous  circumstances. 

"We  had  been  preceded  by  Keyes'  corps,  which  had 
started  at  noon  the  day  before,  crossed  White  Oak  creek 
and  occupied  the  opposite  side,  acting  as  advance  guard 
for  our  long  trains  which  were  now  making  all  haste 
toward  the  James  river. 

The  endless  streams  of  army  wagons,  artillery  trains 
and  ambulances  were  all  pouring  down  the  roads  from 
the  various  camps,  and  crowding  into  the  narrow  paths 
that  led  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  Peninsula.  Porter's 
infantry  mingled  with  the  trains,  and  thousands  of  cattle 
driven  along  through  the  woods  by  the  roadside  made  a 
strange  scene.  Franklin's,  Sumner's  and  Heintzelman's 
corps  were  to  guard  the  rear,  and  it  was  with  secrecy 


96  THE    EETREAT. 

that  we  had  left  the  rifle  pits ;  for  the  enemy  was  close 
upon  us  ready  to  take  advantage  of  every  movement.  A 
picket  guard  was  left  to  deceive  the  rebels,  while  regi 
ment  after  regiment  silently  disappeared,  leaving  only  the 
pickets  to  hold  the  long  line  of  earthworks.  These  brave 
men  waited  hour  after  hour  for  the  signal  to  retire.  The 
gray  lights  of  the  morning  broke  upon  them,  yet  there  was 
no  sign  for  them  to  join  their  commands.  At  length, 
when  they  had  given  up  all  hope  of  being  relieved,  they 
were  signaled  to  leave  the  breastworks,  and  under  cover 
of  the  morning  mists,  they  quickly  joined  their  comrades. 
The  Second  division  moved  in  the  direction  of  Savage's 

£5 

Station,  while  the  First  kept  on  to  the  crossing  of  White 
Oak  Swamp,  acting  as  rear-guard  to  Porter's  corps.  We 
of  the  Second  division  kept  along  the  high  lands  which 
skirt  the  Chickahominy,  when,  after  marching  about  two 
miles,  the  division  was  brought  to  bay  by  the  pursuing 
enemy.  Facing  about  we  waited  in  line  of  battle  for  our 
trains  to  get  out  of  the  way ;  when  we  again  resumed 
the  retreat.  While  here,  General  McClellan,  with  his 
immense  staif,  rode  by  us  on  his  way  toward  Harrison's 
Landing.  He  passed  White  Oak  Swamp  the  same  day, 
and  waited  the  arrival  of  the  army;  which,  hindered  by 
battles  and  innumerable  difficulties,  did  not  come  up  with 
its  commander  again  till  the  1st  of  July. 

We  arrived  at  Savage's  Station  at  4  p.  M.  Here  trains 
and  troops  were  crowded  together  in  wonderful  confusion. 
Immense  heaps  of  commissary  stores,  arms  and  ammunition 
were  waiting  destruction  lest  they  should  fall  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy,  and  hundreds  of  sick  and  wounded 
men  were  taking  sad  leave  of  their  friends ;  for  it  had 
been  determined  that  these  brave  unfortunate  men  must 
be  left  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  rebels.  Again  the 
division  was  formed  in  line  of  battle  to  protect  our 
pioneers  and  the  regiments  which  were  engaged  in  the 


SCENES  AT  SAVAGE'S  STATION.  97 

destruction  of  the  stores.  The  long  railroad  bridge 
across  the  river  at  this  point  had  been  burned.  The 
work  of  destruction  went  on  at  a  marvelous  rate.  Boxes 
of  hard  bread,  hundreds  of  barrels  of  flour,  rice,  sugar, 
coffee,  salt  and  pork  were  thrown  upon  the  burning  piles 
and  consigned  to  the  flames.  One  heap  of  boxes  of  hard 
bread  as  large  as  a  good  sized  dwelling  made  a  part  of 
the  sacrifice.  Boxes  of  clothing  and  shoes  were  opened 
and  every  man  as  he  passed  helped  himself  to  whatever 
he  thought  worth  carrying  away.  Notwithstanding  thou 
sands  helped  themselves,  and  huge  boxes  of  clothing  were 
cast  into  the  flames,  we  found  on  our  return  to  the  Penin 
sula  two  years  afterwards,  that  the  inhabitants  for  a  long 
distance  around  were  clothed  and  shod  with  articles  left 
by  us  at  Savage's  Station  on  the  grand  retreat.  The  peo 
ple  had  also  made  large  gains  by  gathering  up  the  coats, 
pants,  shirts  and  shoes  left  on  the  ground  and  selling  them 
in  Richmond  and  elsewhere. 

It  was  easy  thus  to  dispose  of  commissary  and  quarter 
master's  stores,  but  to  destroy  the  immense  magazines  of 
cartridges,  kegs  of  powder,  and  shells,  required  more  care. 
These  were  loaded  into  cars;  a  lono:  train  was  filled  with 

'  ^ 

these  materials,  and  then,  after  setting  fire  to  each  car,  the 
train  was  set  in  motion  down  the  steep  grade.  With 
wildest  fury  the  blazing  train  rushed ;  each  revolution  of 
the  wheels  adding  new  impetus  to  the  flying  monster,  and 
new  volumes  to  the  flames.  The  distance  to  the  bridge 
was  two  miles.  On  and  on  the  burning  train  thundered 
like  a  frightful  meteor.  Now,  the  flames  being  communi 
cated  to  the  contents  of  the  cars,  terrific  explosions  of 
shells  and  kegs  of  powder  lent  new  excitement  to  the 
scene.  The  air  was  full  of  shrieking,  howling  shells, 
the  fragments  of  which  tore  through  the  trees  and 
branches  of  the  forest ;  and  huge  fragments  of  cars  were 
seen  whirling  high  in  the  air. 
13 


98  A   METEOR   TRAIN. 

At  length  the  train  reached  the  river ;  and  such  was  its 
momentum,  that,  notwithstanding  the  bridge  was  burned, 
the  engine  and  the  first  car  leaped  over  the  first  pier 
in  the  stream,  and  the  cars  hung  suspended.  While  this 
destruction  was  going  on,  Smith's  division  moved  back 
beyond  Savage's  Station,  toward  White  Oak  Swamp, 
marching,  with  frequent  halts,  three  or  four  miles,  when 
we  were  ordered  to  retrace  our  steps  with  all  speed,  to 
reinforce  Sumner's  corps,  which  was  engaging  the  enemy. 
The  heat  of  the  day  was  most  oppressive.  Many  of  our 
men  fell  with  sunstroke.  Among  those  who  thus  suffered 
was  General  Davidson. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  GRAND  RETREAT. 

Lee's  army  in  pursuit  — Sumner  and  Smith  at  Bay— Battle  of  Savage's  Station  — 
The  Vermont  Brigade  — Sick  and  wounded  abandoned  — Ketreat  to  White  Oak 
Swamp  — Battle  of  White  Oak  Swamp  — An  astonished  division  — A  night  march 
—  A  mystery  — In  sight  of  the  James  — Battle  of  Malvern  Hill  —  Departure  of  the 
princes  — Gloom  and  anxiety— Lee's  attack  — The  rebels  demoralized. 

MEANWHILE  the  rebel  army,  finding  no  force  in  front  of 
them,  were  at  first  at  a  loss  to  determine  what  course  we 
had  taken ;  but  when  it  was  discovered  that  we  had  with 
drawn  from  before  both  wings  of  their  army  and  that  our 
base  of  supplies  at  White  House  had  been  abandoned,  it 
was  quickly  divined  that  the  Union  army  was  retreating 
to  the  James  river.  Stuart,  with  his  cavalry,  had  dashed 
down  to  White  House  and  found  only  heaps  of  smoulder 
ing  ruins ;  and  from  the  absence  of  all  motion  in  front  of 
the  right  of  their  line,  it  was  clear  that  no  attempt  was  to 
be  made  on  Richmond.  Finding  himself  thus  unexpect 
edly  victorious,  Lee  at  once  ordered  his  forces,  now  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  Chickahominy,  to  cross  over  and  pursue 
the  retreating  army. 

During  the  night  of  the  28th,  they  had  been  actively 
engaged  in  rebuilding  the  bridge  destroyed  by  General 
Porter,  and  early  on  the  morning  of  the  29th,  the  main 
body  of  Lee's  army  was  pouring  across  the  river.  Hill 
and  Longstreet  moved  rapidly  so  as  to  interpose  between 
our  army  and  Richmond,  and  to  be  able  to  strike  us  on  the 
flank;  two  other  divisions  followed  on  the  Charles  City 
road,  and  Jackson,  with  his  corps,  moved  down  the  bank 
of  the  Chickahominy,  threatening  our  rear. 


100  SUMNER   AND    SMITH   AT   SAVAGED    STATION. 

To  resist  any  attack  from  these  approaching  columns, 
Simmer's  and  Heintzelman's  corps,  and  our  Second  division 
of  the  Sixth  corps,  were  formed  in  line  of  battle  before 
Savage's  Station. 

For  hours  our  division,  with  Sumner's  corps,  stood  in 
the  open  field  watching  the  enemy.  Heintzelman  with 
drew  his  corps  and  left  Sumner  and  Smith  to  stem  the 
tide  that  was  destined  to  pour  upon  us.  It  seems  to  have 
been  the  impression  of  General  Heintzelman,  who  had 
listened  with  credulity  to  the  stories  of  the  immense  supe 
riority  of  the  enemy  in  numbers,  that  all  hope  of  resisting 
the  power  of  Lee's  army  was  gone,  and  that  there  remained 
nothing  for  us  but  to  make  the  best  of  our  way  to  the 
James  river  without  stopping  to  give  the  enemy  battle. 

In  the  view  that  there  was  no  safety  but  in  retreat,  he 
was  guided  by  the  opinion  of  the  Commander-in-Chief, 
who  had  no  thought  of  any  further  resistance  than  should 
suffice  to  bring  the  men  and  as  much  of  the  material  of 
the  army  as  could  be  brought  by  the  teams  across  the 
Peninsula.  Not  so  the  old  Avar  horse  Sumner.  He  would 
gladly  have  attempted,  a  few  hours  later,  to  have  "pushed 
the  rebels  into  the  Chickahominy,"  had  not  his  application 
for  help  been  answered  from  beyond  White  Oak  Swamp, 
"  The  rear-guard  will  follow  the  retreat  of  the  main  body  of 
the  army."  If  there  was  no  hope  for  the  army  but  rapid 
retreat,  then  it  was  right  for  Heintzelman  to  leave  the 
road  clear ;  for  as  it  was,  with  only  Sumner's  corps  and 
our  own  division,  the  road  was  packed  so  full  that  the 
men  could  scarcely  march.  But  if  there  was  an  opportu 
nity  of  inflicting  great  injury  upon  the  rebels,  as  Sumner 
believed  there  was,  then  we  are  not  surprised  at  the  amaze 
ment  of  the  veteran  when  he  discovered,  the  battle  having 
commenced,  that  one  corps  had  left  the  line  altogether. 
We  were  now  as  near  our  new  base  of  supplies  as  the  rebels 
were  to  theirs,  and  here  we  had  enough  to  last  the  army 


101 

many  days.  We  were,  as  they  had  been,  on  the  defensive ; 
and  we  had  the  advantage  in  position.  But  there  Avas 
nothing  left  for  those  now  on  the  line  but  to  make  the 
best  resistance  possible  under  the  circumstances,  and  then 
fall  back  to  the  banks  of  the  James. 

About  five  o'clock  the  huge  cloud  of  dust  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  camps  we  had  deserted,  gave  warning  of  the 
approach  of  that  part  of  the  rebel  army  which  was  march 
ing  by  the  Charles  City  road ;  and  at  sunset  the  thunders 
of  their  artillery  burst  upon  us.  For  an  hour,  only  the 
heavy  roar  of  artillery  was  heard  from  both  sides.  Shells 
screamed  from  one  side  to  the  other,  and  the  bright  flashes 
and  sharp  reports,  as  they  burst  in  the  air,  mingled  with 
the  noise  and  smoke  of  the  battle,  as  battery  responded 
to  battery.  Thus  far  no  discharge  of  musketry  was  heard  ; 
but  suddenly  Magruder's  men,  with  yells  and  shouts,  rushed 
to  the  charge.  Streams  of  fire  flashed  along  the  two  lines, 
and  the  rattle  of  innumerable  muskets  told  of  closer  work 
than  artillery  duels.  The  brave  fellows  of  Sumner,  and 
of  our  Vermont  brigade,  met  the  assailants  with  defiant 
shouts  that  rang  out  above  the  roar  of  muskets  and 
cannon. 

Leaving  Sumner's  heroes  to  contend  the  ground  on  their 
part  of  the  line,  let  us  glance  more  in  detail  at  the  part 
borne  by  our  own  division  in  this  battle  of  Savage's 
Station. 

The  Vermont  brigade  having  the  advance  of  the  division, 
General  Brooks  at  once  threw  his  regiments  to  the  front. 
The  Fifth  and  Sixth  as  skirmishers,  supported  by  the 
Third  and  Second  in  line  of  battle,  the  Fourth  being 
thrown  upon  the  flank,  the  brigade  advanced  rapidly 
through  a  wide  strip  of  woods.  Suddenly,  as  the  line  of 
skirmishers  emerged  from  the  woods  they  received  the  fire 
of  a  battery  and  of  a  strong  line  of  battle.  The  Fifth  at 
once  charged  upon  the  force  in  front,  which  scattered  in 


102  THE    SICK   AND   WOUNDED    ABANDONED. 

all  directions.  The  rebels  were  beaten  back  both  from 
our  own  and  from  Sumner's  front ;  but  only  to  reform  and 
press  forward  again  from  the  cover  of  the  woods  to  which 
they  had  retreated,  to  give  battle  with  new  vigor.  Again 
the  flash  and  roar  of  musketry  mingled  with  the  wild  yells 
of  the  rebels  and  the  manly  shouts  of  the  Unionists,  and 
again  nothing  could  be  seen  but  the  clouds  of  smoke,  out 
of  which  sprung  the  vivid  blaze  of  the  cannon,  and  the 
quick  flash  of  the  rifles.  Every  now  and  then,  fresh 
troops  arriving  upon  the  field  would  send  up  the  shout 
above  all  the  other  noise  of  battle,  and  then  nothing  but 
the  continuous  din  of  arms  could  be  heard.  Three  rebel 
regiments  now  advanced  against  the  Fifth  Vermont ;  but 
the  brave  fellows  secured  a  good  position  and  held  it, 
in  spite  of  every  effort  of  the  rebels  to  dislodge  them. 
The  other  regiments  were  not  so  hotly  engaged  as  the 
Fifth.  Two  hundred  of  the  men  of  that  regiment  were 
killed,  wounded  or  missing.  Fifty  of  their  dead  bodies 
were  left  on  the  field.  Davidson's  and  Hancock's  brig 
ades  guarded  important  positions,  but  were  not  actively 
engaged. 

The  conflict  raged  till  eight  o'clock,  when  the  confed 
erates,  repulsed  at  every  point,  beaten  and  discouraged, 
left  the  field,  and  no  more  Avas  seen  of  them.  The  whole 
loss  to  the  confederates  in  this  engagement  was  about  four 
hundred. 

Before  midnight,  the  rear-guard  had  turned  toward 
White  Oak  Swamp,  leaving  many  hundreds  of  our  brave 
wounded  and  sick  men  lying  upon  the  green  sward,  or 
collected  under  rude  shelters.  Here,  large  groups  were 
gathered  under  the  shade  of  some  large  tree ;  and  there, 
long  lines  of  staggering  invalids,  leaning  upon  their  guns 
or  staffs  for  support,  tottered  after  the  retreating  column, 
in  the  hope  of  being  able  to  reach  with  it  a  place  of 
safety. 


AT   WHITE    OAK   SWAMP.  103 

• 

Surgeons  were  left  to  care  for  these  unfortunate  ones 
who  could  not  get  off;  and  a  small  amount  out  of  the 
abundance  of  provisions  that  was  condemned  to  destruc 
tion  was  saved  for  them.  Of  all  the  sad  scenes  which 
had  made  the  Peninsula  swarm  with  melancholy  mem 
ories,  nothing  we  had  seen  could  compare  with  this  most 
sorrowful  of  all.  Twenty-five  hundred  of  our  sick  and 
wounded  were  left  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 

At  nine  or  ten  in  the  evening,  we  withdrew  from  our 
position  before  Savage's  Station,  and  marched  rapidly 
toward  White  Oak  Swamp.  The  road  was  completely 
filled  with  wagons,  ambulances  and  artillery,  mingled 
Avith  horsemen  and  infantry,  all  crowding  forward  with 
utmost  speed.  Never  had  our  men  experienced  so  severe 
a  march.  They  were  obliged  to  pick  their  way  among 
the  teams,  losing  all  organization,  each  man  bent  upon 
making  his  way  forward  regardless  of  others. 

At  length,  toward  morning,  we  crossed  White  Oak 
creek,  ascended  a  little  elevation  on  the  further  side,  and 
lay  down  upon  the  grass  completely  exhausted  and  worn 
out. 

The  sun  was  shining  brightly  when  we  were  roused 
from  our  heavy  slumbers.  The  morning  passed  in  perfect 
quiet  except  the  rattle  of  the  trains  which  had  parked 
here  over  night,  and  now  were  hurrying  along  the  narrow 
road,  wagons  and  artillery  rushing  by  with  all  speed  to 
allow  room  for  the  immense  collection  to  file  out.  This 
process  continued  till  afternoon,  and  was  the  only  source 
of  excitement  to  us  except  the  distant  roar  of  battle  on 
the  left,  where  McCall  and  Hooker  were  hotly  engaged. 
Thus  matters  continued  until  about  two  o'clock ;  the  men 
seeking  shelter  among  the  pines  or  resting  quietly  after 
their  weary  night's  march.  A  picket  line  composed  of 
men  from  the  various  regiments  of  our  Third  brigade, 
Second  division,  guarding  our  extreme  right  -flank.  All 


104  BATTLE    OF   WHITE    OAK    SWAMP. 

were  listless  and  little  dreaming  of  the  tremendous  storm 
of  iron  hail  which  was  gathering  to  break  upon  us  in  a 
moment. 

Suddenly,  like  a  thunderbolt,  seventy-five  pieces  of 
artillery  belched  forth  their  sheets  of  flame  and  howling 
shells;  and  in  an  instant,  our  whole  division  was  thrown 
into  the  most  perfect  confusion  by  the  deadly  missiles 
which  flew  among  us  in  every  direction.  Such  cannonad 
ing  had  never  before  been  heard  by  our  army,  and  before 
our  batteries  could  reply  with  any  effect,  the  horses  were 
killed,  the  gunners  dispersed  and  the  pieces  disabled.  It 
was  a  most  perfect  surprise ;  no  one  was  prepared ;  men 
ran  hither  and  thither  seeking  shelter  behind  any  object 
which  seemed  even  sufficient  to  conceal  them  from  the 
view  of  the  enemy. 

It  appeared  that  Jackson  had  effected  a  crossing  of  the 
river,  and  with  great  secrecy  made  his  way  to  the  border 
of  White  Oak  creek,  where,  concealed  by  trees  and  under 
brush,  he  had  massed  his  batteries,  and  when  all  was  in 
perfect  readiness  had  opened  upon  us  this  storm  of  death. 
Unutterable  confusion  prevailed  for  a  time ;  riderless  horses 
galloped  madly  to  the  rear ;  men  rushed  here  and  there ; 
officers  wandered  about  without  commands,  and  men  were 
left  without  directions  how  to  act.  Generals  Smith  and 
Davidson  occupied  an  old  fashioned  wooden  house  which 
stood  upon  the  brow  of  the  elevation  above  and  facing 
the  bridge.  About  it  were  many  orderlies,  holding  their 
horses,  or  lounging  carelessly,  or  chatting  with  each  other. 
The  very  first  volley  riddled  the  house  with  shells ;  order 
lies  rushed  from  the  place  in  consternation  and  the  inmates 
quickly  appeared  without,  gazing  in  amazement  toward 
the  source  of  this  unexpected  cause  of  the'tumult.  The 
gray-haired  owner  of  the  house  was  cut  in  two  as  he  stood 
in  the  door,  and  several  other  persons  were  more  or  less 
injured.  General  Smith,  at  the  moment  the  cannonade 


THE  RETREAT  CONTINUED.  105 

opened,  was  engaged  at  his  rude  toilette ;  his  departure 
from  the  house  was  so  hasty  that  he  left  his  watch,  which 
he  did  not  recover.  He  coolly  walked  off  to  a  less  exposed 
position  and  devoted  himself  to  restoring  order.  One 
regiment,  as  soon  as  the  shells  began  to  fly,  rushed  pell-mell 
to  the  rear,  none  of  the  men  standing  upon  the  order  of 
their  going. 

During  all  this  time  a  few  of  the  regiments  held  their 
ground  without  moving.  By  active  exertions,  on  the  part 
of  officers,  order  was  restored  and  the  whole  division  fell 
back  a  short  distance,  taking  up  a  position  at  the  edge  of 
a  strip  of  woods,  which  commanded  an  open  field.  General 
Smith,  with  his  accustomed  fearlessness,  was  to  be  seen 
riding  along  his  lines  exhorting  his  men  to  coolness,  and 
by  his  own  composure  restoring  confidence  to  them.  The 
design  of  Jackson,  to  cross  the  stream,  was  frustrated. 
The  firing  soon  ceased,  and,  as  darkness  came  on,  quiet 
again  reigned,  except  now  and  then  a  little  skirmishing. 

At  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  under  cover  of  the  dark 
ness,  we  silently  and  hastily  withdrew.  All  orders  were 
given  in  whispers ;  men  refrained  from  conversation  ;  and 
everything  indicated  the  most  intense  anxiety  on  the  part 
of  our  generals  for  the  safety  of  the  army.  Thus,  in  sil 
ence,  we  hastened  on  our  way;  the  weary  and  exhausted 
troops  scarcely  able  to  keep  awake  while  they  marched. 
No  better  illustration  can  be  given  of  the  intense  state  of 
anxiety,  excitement  and  doubt  which  prevailed,  than 
the  following  little  incident,  which  occurred  during  this 
night  march.  Our  Third  brigade,  leading  the  Second 
division,  had  halted  where  the  narrow  road  passed 
through  a  piece  of  woods,  waiting  a  moment  for  the  road 
to  clear,  or  for  the  guides  to  report  the  direction  for  the 
march.  Generals  Franklin  and  Davidson,  with  officers  of 
Davidson's  brigade,  were  grouped  together  near  the  head 
of  the  column,  sitting  upon  their  horses.  The  weary  men, 
14 


106  JAMES   EIYEE   IN    SIGHT. 

almost  overcome  by  sleep,  were  leaning  upon  their  muskets 
or  lying  in  the  road  half  asleep.  Officers  nodded  and 
swung  this  way  and  that  in  their  saddles.  The  stillness  of 
death  prevailed.  In  an  instant,  without  any  perceptible 
cause,  as  though  a  breath  from  some  evil  genius  had  swept 
the  narrow  track,  every  man  was  gone  from  the  road. 
They  stood  in  the  woods  looking  with  breathless  wonder 
into  the  road  for  the  unseen  danger.  After  the  first 
moment  of  surprise,  the  word  passed  along,  in  low  tones, 
"Attention!"  Not  a  living  being  could  be  seen  in  the 
road,  and  all  was  silence.  Recovering  from  the  first  sur 
prise,  General  Davidson  looked  for  General  Franklin,  who, 
but  a  moment  before,  was  dozing  by  his  side.  "  General 
Franklin !  General  Franklin !"  called  the  general  in  a  loud 
whisper,  but  nothing  could  be  found  of  him,  and  we  saw 
no  more  of  him  that  night.  What  was  the  cause  of  this 
sudden  alarm  we  never  knew.  Possibly,  a  riderless. horse 
might  have  suddenly  startled  those  in  front,  or,  quite  as 
likely,  there  was  no  cause  whatever;  but  the  incident 
illustrates  the  state  of  feeling  in  the  army  that  night. 

At  length,  just  as  the  gray  light  of  the  morning  was 
streaking  the  skies,  we  came  in  sight  of  the  majestic 
James  river.  Every  man  took  a  long  breath,  as  though 
relieved  'of  a  heavy  load  of  anxiety.  Officers  clasped 
their  hands  and  exclaimed,  "  Thank  God."  The  worn  out 
men  stepped  lighter,  for  they  had  arrived  at  the  haven 
of  their  hopes.  Again  they  experienced  a  feeling  of 
safety.  We  filed  into  a  beautiful  clover  field,  and  there  the 
exhausted  columns  sunk  down  for  a  brief  rest.  Brief  it 
was  to  be,  for  scarcely  had  two  hours  passed  when  we 
were  ordered  into  line  of  battle.  We  moved  back 
through  the  woods,  crossing  a  little  stream,  and  formed  in 
a  wheat  field,  where  the  grain  stood  in  shocks.  Here  we 
remained,  watching  the  enemy,  who  stood  in  our  front, 
contenting  themselves  with  occasional  sallies  of  their 


BATTLE    OF    MALVERX    HILL.  107 

skirmishers,  while  the  great  battle  of  Malvern  Hill  was  in 
progress  on  our  left,  where  the  booming  of  our  field  pieces 
and  the  dull  roar  of  the  heavy  guns  from  the  gunboats 
was  heard  for  many  hours.  At  length,  as  night  came  on, 
the  sound  of  battle  died  away,  and  all  was  again  quiet. 
Now  we  heard  cheers  on  the  left,  and,  looking  in  that 
direction,  we  saw,  approaching  at  great  speed,  the  com 
mander  of  the  Union  army.  Cheers  greeted  him  as  he 
rode  along  the  line,  and  hats  were  thrown  high  in  the  air 
in  honor  of  the  chief. 

As  the  leading  corps  of  the  army  had  fallen  back  from 
White  Oak  Swamp,  they  had  occupied  a  superb  position 
on  the  James  river,  called  Malvern  Hill.  The  wagons 
and  other  impedimentia  of  the  army  had  also  arrived 
there,  and  were  secured  behind  the  southern  slope  of  the 
hill.  The  place  was  admirably  adapted  for  a  defensive 
battle.  It  was  a  lofty  plateau,  rising  not  less  than  one 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  the  plain,  sloping  gently 
toward  the  north  and  east,  down  to  the  border  of  the 
forest.  The  approach  to  this  sloping  field  was  rendered 
difficult  by  ravines,  which  ran  along  the  front ;  and  the 
enemy,  if  he  approached,  must  do  so  by  way  of  the  roads 
which  crossed  them. 

Upon  the  crest  was  posted  the  battery  of  siege  guns 
which  had  escaped  the  hands  of  the  enemy ;  and  nearly 
three  hundred  field  pieces  were  arranged  along  the  heights, 
so  that  the  fire  might  pass  over  the  heads  of  the  infantry, 
who  were  arranged  upon  the  glacis,  up  which  the  enemy 
must  charge,  hidden,  for  the  most  part,  by  the  tall  wheat 
and  corn.  Here  the  main  body  of  the  army  was  posted. 
First,  nearest  the  James,  was  Porter's  corps ;  then  Heintz- 
elman's,  Keyes',  Sumner's  and  our  Sixth  corps,  occupying 
the  right  flank,  two  or  three  miles  from  the  position  where 
the  rebels  must  advance  with  their  main  force.  The  fleet 
of  gunboats  floated  upon  the  river,  on  our  left  flank, 


108  A   DAY   OF   GLOOM. 

ready  to  send  their  screaming  monster  shells  into  the 
ranks  of  the  advancing  enemy. 

A-ainst  this  position,  naturally  almost  impregnable,  Lee 
hurled  his  hosts,  with  the  design  of  giving  the  final  blow 
to  the  Union  army,  which  should  insure  its  destruction 
and  capture.  The  rebel  army  confidently  believed  that 
the  army  of  the  north  must  now  be  compelled  to  sur 
render  or  be  driven  into  the  James. 

If  the  rebels  were  confident  and  exultant,  our  own  men 
were  filled  with  the  deepest  despondency. 

Exhausted  by  a  month  of  constant  labor  and  watchful 
ness,  with  fighting  and  marching  and  digging,  now,  as 
they  believed,  fleeing  from  the  face  of  an  enemy  immensely 
superior  to  them  in  numbers,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at 
that  they  were  apprehensive  of  the  worst  results. 

Paymasters  sought  refuge  with  their  treasures  in  the 
gunboats  on  the  river.  The  Prince  De  Joinville  and  his 
nephews,  the  Count  De  Paris  and  Count  De  Chartes,  who 
had  acted  as  aides  de  camp  to  General  McClellan,  who  had 
been  with  us  from  the  beginning,  active,  brave  men,  who 
were  frequently  where  the  danger  was  greatest,  and 
who  had  entered  our  service  with  the  .determination  of 
seeing  it  to  the  end,  now  departed ;  they,  too,  finding  a 
respite  from  their  toils  upon  one  of  the  gunboats.  The 
young  men  were  accompanied  on  board  by  the  staff  and  by 
the  Commander-in-Chief  himself.  From  the  deck  of  the 
vessel  he  communicated  his  orders  by  the  signal  flags,  to 
those  left  in  command  on  shore.  Here,  with  his  young 
friends,  and  in  consultation  with  the  commander  of  the 
fleet,  he  remained  until  about  five  o'clock,  when  he  rode 
down  the  lines  to  the  rear  of  our  corps,  where  he  spent 
the  time  till  darkness  put  an  end  to  the  fight. 

Such  was  the  sad  state  of  feeling  in  our  army.  Yet, 
exhausted  and  depressed  as  they  were,  our  men  were  as 
brave  and  determined  as  ever.  They  had  yet  a  country ; 


REPULSE  OF  THE  REBELS.  109 

and  they  knew  that  the  fate  of  that  country  depended 
upon  the  result  of  this  encounter,  and  they  resolved  to 
acquit  themselves  with  heroism  and  even  desperation. 

Lee  had  marshaled  his  whole  force  in  front  of  our 
strong  position.  He  wrote  to  each  of  his  division  com 
manders  ordering  an  assault,  and  directing,  when  they 
heard  the  yell  of  Armistead's  troops,  to  charge  also  with 
yells. 

The  yell  was  heard,  and  some  of  the  divisions,  but  not 
all,  pressed  forward  to  a  wild  charge. 

The  rebels  came  on  heroically,  but  were  sent  reeling 
back  down  the  slope  in  confusion  and  disorder.  Again 
and  again  they  renewed  the  charge  from  under  cover  of 
the  woods  which  skirted  the  base  of  the  slope.  They 
would  start  across  the  open  space,  charging  our  batteries 
Avith  wild  yells,  but  the  heavy  fire  of  our  guns  and  the 
steady  volleys  of  our  infantry  sent  them  back  as  often  to 
the  shelter  of  the  woods.  At  times  our  infantry  would 
reserve  their  fire  till  the  rebel  columns  had  run  the  gaunt 
let  of  shot  and  shell  from  our  batteries,  almost  reaching 
our  lines,  when  with  exultant  cheers  they  would  bound 
forward  to  seize  the  prize  now  almost  within  their  grasp, 
when  our  men  would  open  upon  them  a  single  volley,  and, 
leaping  over  the  breastworks,  pursue  the  panic-stricken 
assailants,  capturing  prisoners  and  colors,  and  driving  the 
rebels  in  confusion  down  the  slope.  Thus  the  battle  raged 
with  terrible  fury ;  every  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  enemy 
failing,  until  darkness  set  in,  and  the  rebel  chiefs  were 
glad  to  let  the  battle  subside ;  though  it  was  not  till  nine 
o'clock  the  artillery  firing  ceased. 

The  weight  of  the  attacks  had  been  upon  our  center. 
Here  Couch,  Sumner  and  Heintzelman  withstood  the  shock 
of  battle  for  hours,  only  a  part  of  Porter's  corps  being 
engaged,  and  neither  our  Sixth  corps  nor  Casey's  division 
of  Keyes'  corps  being  actively  in  the  fight. 


110  AN   ARMY   OF   STRAGGLERS. 

The  rebel  General  Trimble  thus  describes  the  condition 
of  their  army  on  the  morning  after  the  battle: 

"  The  next  morning  by  dawn  I  went  off  to  ask  for  orders, 
when  I  found  the  whole  army  in  the  utmost  disorder. 
Thousands  of  straggling  men  were  asking  every  passer-by 
for  their  regiments;  ambulances,  wagons  and  artillery 
obstructing  every  road;  and  altogether  in  a  drenching  rain 
presenting  a  scene  of  the  most  woful  and  heart-rending 
confusion." 

Had  but  a  show  of  an  attack  upon  such  an  army  been 
made,  it  must  have  resulted  in  defeat  and  utter  rout  to 
the  rebels. 


CHAPTER  XL 

AT  HARRISON'S  LANDING. 

March  to  Harrison's  Bar— A  scene  of  confusion  — A  beautiful  landscape  —  Fourth 
cf  July  in  camp— Gloom  at  the  north  — Cause  of  the  disasters  —  Prevalence  of 
disease  — Review  by  the  President  — A  night  demonstration  by  the  enemy  — 
Eeconnoissance  to  Malvern  Hill  —  Departure  of  General  Davidson  — A  retro 
spect. 

OUR  corps  remained  in  line  of  battle  in  the  wheat  field 
till  early  next  morning ;  changing  position  during  the 
night  just  often  enough  to  deprive  us  of  rest.  As  we 
started  out  toward  Harrison's  Landing  the  rain  was  pour 
ing  in  sheets;  and  throughout  the  day  it  continued  to 
deluge  the  country.  The  roads  were  rivers  of  almost 
fathomless  mud ;  and  our  tired  men  could  scarcely  drag 
themselves  along.  But  at  four  in  the  afternoon  we  halted 
under  cover  of  our  gunboats,  and  bivouacked  for  the 
night.  Such  a  deplorable  scene  as  was  here,  was  enough 
to  melt  the  heart  of  the  stoutest.  As  we  debouched  from 
a  piece  of  woods  skirting  the  plateau  at  Harrison's  Land 
ing,  officers  stood  like  hotel  porters  at  a  steamboat  landing, 
calling  out  "  This  way  for  the  Third  corps ;"  "  This  way 
for  the  Fifth  corps ;"  "  This  way  for  Slocum's  division." 
All  was  confusion.  The  whole  army  seemed  to  be  made 
of  stragglers.  Our  little  Brigadier  Davidson  rose  in  his 
saddle  to  an  unusual  height,  as  he  looked  back  and  saw 
with  undisguised  pride,  his  brigade  marching  in,  almost 
unbroken. 

The  landscape  before  us  was  indescribably  beautiful. 
There  lay  the  James  river,  and  spreading  out  between  us 
and  the  river  were  the  broad  fields  of  wheat;  the  fine 


112  AT  HARRISON'S  LANDING. 

9 

country  houses;  the  long  avenues  and  roads  lined  with 
rows  of  cedar  trees ;  which  last  were  almost  in  a  moment 
stripped  of  their  branches  to  make  beds  for  the  soldiers. 

There,  crowded  together,  were  the  immense  caravans 
of  wagons,  ambulances,  guns  and  pontoons,  hugging  the 
river,  and  the  multitude  of  men  swarming  over  the  plain. 
Long  processions  of  sick  and  wounded  men,  leaning  on 
canes  and  crutches,  their  heavy  steps  and  sunken  faces 
now  for  a  moment  lighted  up  at  the  thought  that  their 
melancholy  pilgrimage  was  nearly  ended,  filed  by  us ;  and 
battalions  of  cooks  and  special  duty  men  were  wandering 
about  in  search  of  their  commands. 

The  river  was  full  of  transports  and  gunboats,  giving  it 
the  appearance  of  the  harbor  of  some  commercial  metro 
polis.  Many  of  the  hungry  men,  without  waiting  for 
their  rations  to  be  brought  by  the  commissary,  plunged 
into  the  stream,  swam  to  the  boats  and  there  procured  the 
coveted  food.  But  the  greater  number  of  our  men,  their 
powers  completely  exhausted,  without  waiting  for  food, 
or  to  provide  comfortable  quarters,  lay  down  in  the  bed 
of  mud  and  were  soon  in  heavy  slumbers. 

Again,  after  a  poor  night's  rest,  the  corps  was  marched 
to  a  new  position  on  the  front  line,  where  we  remained  to 
celebrate  the  anniversary  of  the  nation's  birthday.  A 
gloomy  "Fourth  of  July"  was  this  to  us,  though  every 
effort  was  made  to  keep  up  the  spirits  of  the  men. 
Early  in  the  morning  the  enemy  opened  a  fire  upon 
parts  of  our  line,  to  which  our  guns  responded.  A 
national  salute  had  been  ordered,  and  precisely  at  the 
hour  appointed,  while  the  fighting  was  in  progress, 
the  heavy  guns  were  heard  booming  the  salute.  Our 
boys  listened  for  a  moment,  and  then,  as  if  all  inspired 
with  new  life,  they  made  the  welkin  ring  with  their  cheers. 
The  bands,  roused  from  their  long  inactivity,  pealed  forth 
stirring  national  airs,  and  the  Commander-in-Chief  issued 


THE   NEWS   AT   HOME.  113 

an  address  to  his  army,  in  which  he  praised  its  gallantry 
and  firmness,  declared  that  he  himself  had  established  the 
new  line,  and  that  if  the  enemy  would  come  upon  us  now 
we  would  convert  his  repulse  into  a  final  defeat. 

At  home,  a  heavy  gloom  hung  over  the  nation.  The 
news  of  our  retreat  and  of  the  terrible  battles,  had  been 
carried  by  the  magic  wires  to  the  remotest  parts  of  the 
north;  but  few  yet  knew  the  fate  of  their  friends  who 
were  in  the  great  army.  It  was  enough  that  the  siege  of 
Richmond,  which  had  cost  so  muck  time  and  money,  and, 
above  all,  so  many  thousands  of  brave  men,  was  abandoned, 
and  the  grand  army,  on  which  the  hopes  of  the  nation 
hung,  was  now  beleaguered,  defending  itself  in  an  unhealthy 
position,  which  offered  little  advantage  for  anything  but 
defense.  Sympathizers  with  the  rebellion  secretly  rejoiced 
and  openly  prophesied  the  speedy  destruction  of  our  army 
by  the  scorching  sun  and  poisoned  air,  even  if  left  to  itself 
by  the  rebels. 

The  cause  of  all  these  disastrous  circumstances  was  by 
some  attributed  to  unwise  interference,  on  the  part  of  the 
authorities  in  Washington,  with  the  plans  of  the  chief  of 
our  army.  They  claimed  that  the  President,  Secretary  of 
War  and  the  Major-General  commanding  all  the  armies 
of  the  Union,  had,  in  the  words  of  General  McClellan,  "done 
what  they  could  to  defeat  this  army."  They  complained 
loudly  that  reinforcements  had  been  withheld,  and  that 
McDowell,  with  a  large  force,  had  been  kept  unemployed 
in  the  vicinity  of  Fredericksburgh,  when  his  corps  would 
have  thrown  the  balance  of  strength  upon  our  side.  Others 
claimed  that  the  whole  campaign  had  been  sadly  misman 
aged  by  a  commander  who  had,  as  they  insisted,  never  seen 
his  army  fight;  who  had  invariably  found  employment 
elsewhere  than  on  the  field  of  battle  when  fighting  was  to 
to  be  done,  and  whose  character  as  a  soldier  was  made  up 
of  doubts  and  hesitancies. 
15 


114  PREVALENCE    OF   DISEASE. 

Six  weeks  of  camp  life,  dreary,  sickly  and  monotonous, 
succeeded  our  arrival  at  Harrison's  Bar. 

Our  corps  proceeded  to  the  work  of  throwing  up  strong 
intrenchments  and  mounting  guns.  Our  Third  brigade, 
Second  division,  constructed  an  extensive  fort,  in  which 
several  very  heavy  guns  were  mounted ;  each  of  the  regi 
ments  taking  their  turn  at  the  labor.  In  our  front  the 
forests  were  slashed  for  a  great  distance,  and  thousands  of 
sturdy  wood-cutters  plied  their  heavy  blows,  sweltering 
under  the  burning  ray^of  the  sun. 

Sickness  became  almost  universal.  The  men  were  worn 
out  with  the  tremendous  labors  which  they  had  performed 
since  their  arrival  on  the  Peninsula  ;  they  were  burned  by 
almost  unendurable  heat ;  they  were  nearly  devoured  by 
the  countless  myriads  of  flies  and  other  annoying  insects  ; 
and  they  were  forced  to  drink  impure  and  unwholesome 
water.  It  was  not  strange  that  hundreds  died  in  camp, 
and  that  hundreds  more,  with  the  seeds  of  death  implanted 
in  their  constitutions,  went  to  their  homes  in  the  north  to 
breathe  out  their  lives  in  the  midst  of  their  friends,  or 
languished  in  the  large  government  hospitals  at  Wash 
ington,  and  other  cities. 

Leaves  of  absence  were  given  freely,  and  thousands 
availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity  of  visiting  their 
homes  and  recruiting  their  health.  The  men,  with  the 
patience  which  none  but  soldiers  ever  exhibit,  went 
quietly  to  work  to  render  their  situation  as  tolerable  as 
possible.  Wells  were  dug  in  the  camps,  from  which  they 
procured  better  water  than  they  were  able  to  get  at  first, 
and  small  pines  were  brought  and  set  among  the  tents,  by 
which  some  degree  of  protection  was  afforded  against  the 
burning  sun.  On  the  morning  of  the  8th  of  July,  the 
monotony  was  broken  by  the  arrival  of  President  Lincoln. 
The  booming  of  artillery  announced  his  coming,  and  the 
heartfelt  cheers  of  the  soldiers  assured  him  of  a  welcome. 


REVIEW   BY   THE   PRESIDENT.  115 

The  President,  after  spending  a  few  hours  at  the  head 
quarters  of  the  army,  proceeded  to  review  the  various 
corps.  He  was  accompanied  by  General  McClellan,  and 
many  officers  of  note.  Everywhere  he  received  an  enthu 
siastic  welcome  from  the  men,  who  regarded  him  as  their 
warm  friend.  He  manifested  great  emotion  as  he  rode 
along  the  lines  and  saw  that  the  regiments,  which  but  a 
few  weeks  before  had  left  Washington  with  full  ranks, 
were  now  mere  skeletons  of  regiments.  Evening  drew  its 
mantle  over  the  scene,  and  the  review  was  closed  by 
moonlight. 

Little  occurred  to  relieve  the  monotony  of  the  six  weeks 
of  camp  life  at  Harrison's  Bar,  except  the  events  of  which 
we  have  spoken;  a  demonstration  by  the  enemy  during 
the  night  of  the  31st,  and  an  advance  to  Malvern  Hill  by 
General  Hooker's  division.  On  the  former  occasion,  the 
troops  were  startled  from  their  slumbers  about  midnight, 
by  the  sudden  discharge  of  a  battery  of  artillery  from  the 
south  side  of  the  James.  The  rebels  had  succeeded  in 
getting  a  force  in  position  there,  and  they  now  opened  a 
vigorous  fire  upon  our  shipping  and  our  camps.  Their 
shells  flew  among  us  in  disagreeable  proximity,  and  the 
long  lines  of  fire  traced  upon  the  midnight  sky  lent  a  cer 
tain  charm  to  the  dangerous  business.  Our  gunboats 
answered  the  fire ;  and  after  two  hours  of  exciting  work 
drove  the  rebels  from  their  position.  Some  infantry  was 
taken  across  the  river,  who  hastened  the  retreat  of  the 
enemy,  burned  the  buildings  near  the  shore,  and  cut  down 
the  trees,  that  they  might  not  in  future  afford  concealment 
for  the  rebels. 

General  Hooker's  reconnoissance  resulted  in  his  occupy 
ing  Malvern  Hill  for  a  day  or  two,  having  a  brisk  skirmish 
with  the  enemy  and  returning  to  camp. 

Our  active  and  gallant  Brigadier-General  Davidson 
was,  early  in  August,  relieved  from  the  command  of  our 


116  DEPARTURE    OF   GENERAL   DAVIDSON. 

Third  brigade,  and  ordered  to  the  department  of  Missouri. 
Notwithstanding  the  severity  of  his  discipline,  and  his  occa 
sional  forgetfulness  that  men  could  not  accomplish  as  much 
physical  labor  as  horses  —  for  the  general  had  always  been 
a  cavalry  officer  — his  never-tiring  energy,  his  undoubted 
bravery,  and  his  interest  and  pride  in  his  brigade,  had 
endeared  him  to  the  men.  During  the  severe  trials  on  the 
Chickahominy,  and  on  the  retreat,  the  general  had  taken 
an  unusual  interest  in  the  brigade,  and  had  made  himself 
personally  acquainted  with  nearly  all  the  members  of  his 
command. 

The  general  took  command  of  a  cavalry  division  in 
Missouri ;  where  his  name  became  a  terror  to  all  secession 
ists  in  that  part  of  the  country.  The  command  devolved 
upon  Lieutenant-Colonel  Corning  of  the  Thirty-third  New 
York,  then  senior  officer  of  the  brigade,  who  was  soon 
succeeded  by  Colonel  W.  H.  Irwin,  of  the  Forty-ninth 
Pennsylvania  Volunteers. 

Reinforcements  began  to  arrive  from  Washington,  and 
our  army,  in  August,  numbered  one  hundred  and  twenty 
thousand  men.  With  these,  and  a  few  thousand  more, 
General  McClellan  declared  his  belief  that  he  could  repel 
the  enemy  and  advance  into  Richmond. 

Let  us  for  a  moment  turn  to  the  fortunes  of  the  regiment 
with  which  we  left  Saratoga,  and  whose  early  history 
we  have  traced.  In  all  the  stirring  events  which  have 
transpired  in  the  division  and  corps,  the  Seventy-seventh 
has  acted  an  important  and  honorable  part.  Always 
ready  to  perform  the  duties  demanded  of  it;  always  in 
its  place  when  danger  was  greatest;  ever  cheerfully  obey 
ing  the  commands  of  superiors,  it  has  assumed  no  honor 
above  its  fellows,  but  proudly  claimed  to  be  the  peer  of 
such  noble  regiments  as  the  Sixth  Maine,  the  Fifth  Wis 
consin,  the  Thirty-third  New  York,  and  other  bright 
stars  in  the  galaxy  of  the  Sixth  corps ;  ornaments  to  it 


THE    SEVENTY-SEVENTH.  117 

and  the  army.  "  It  is  a  little  regiment,"  said  General 
Davidson  to  a  member  of  Governor  Morgan's  staff,  who 
came  to  look  after  the  interests  of  the  New  York  troops, 
"  but  it  is  always  in  the  right  place."  The  general  regarded 
the  regiment  with  especial  favor,  and  was  accustomed  to 
call  it  "  my  little  Seventy-seventh."  Since  the  arrival  of 
the  army  on  the  Peninsula  the  experiences  of  the  regiment 
have  been  varied.  With  the  other  regiments  of  Smith's 
division,  it  has  spent  a  month  at  Yorktown,  within  musket 
shot  of  the  enemy.  At  Williamsburgh  it,  with  other 
regiments  of  its  brigade,  supported  batteries  in  front  of 
Fort  Magruder,  and  when,  in  the  afternoon,  it  received 
the  order  to  go  with  the  Forty-ninth  to  the  assistance  of 
Hancock,  it  started  forward  with  cheers ;  the  men  going 
through  the  mud  at  double  quick.  But  when  the  two 
regiments  arrived  on  the  field,  their  gallant  brothers  of 
Hancock's  and  of  their  own  brigade,  had  nobly  accom 
plished  the  work  in  which  they  would  gladly  have  assisted. 
We  have  seen  how  gallantly  the  regiment  routed  the 
rebels  at  Mechanicsville ;  capturing  a  flag  and  other  tro 
phies  ;  and  when  on  the  Chickahominy  Smith's  division 
held  the  line  closest  upon  the  enemy,  it  bravely  assumed 
its  part  of  the  labor  and  danger.  A  portion  of  the  regi 
ment  on  picket  on  the  28th  of  June,  exhibited  sterling 
heroism,  and  we  need  hardly  refer  to  the  noble  sacrifice 
of  the  brave  young  soldier  John  Ham. 

Disease  and  exhaustion  had  made  terrible  inroads  upon 
the  Seventy-seventh.  Instead  of  nearly  a  thousand  men 
with  which  we  came  to  the  Peninsula,  inspection  in  the 
middle  of  June  showed  only  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
men  present  for  duty.  Although  this  regiment  had  from 
the  very  beginning  occupied  an  exposed  position  in  the 
very  front  line ;  although  it  composed  a  part  of  Smith's 
division,  which  has  already  become  famous  both  in  the 
Union  and  rebel  armies  for  being  always  in  closest  prox- 


118  COLONEL  M'KEAN. 

imity  to  the  enemy,  yet  it  had  thus  far  lost  very  few  men 
in  battle.  All  the  rest  of  those  now  absent  had  been 
stricken  down  by  fevers,  or  worn  out  by  the  exhausting 
labors  and  exposures  of  the  campaign. 

Among  those  attacked  by  typhoid  fever  was  Colonel 
McKean.  After  suffering  a  few  days  in  the  vain  hope  of 
soon  being  able  to  place  himself  again  at  the  head  of  his 
regiment,  he  was  removed  from  the  poisonous  atmosphere 
of  the  swamps  to  Washington,  and  thence  to  his  home  in 
Saratoga.  The  men  looked  upon  his  departure  with  sin 
cere  regret,  for  they  not  only  respected  him  as  an  able 
commander,  but  loved  him  for  his  never  failing  interest  in 
their  welfare.  He  had  been  to  the  regiment  in  the  capa 
city  of  commander  and  father.  His  leave  of  the  regiment 
was  destined  to  be  final ;  for  except  as  an  occasional  visitor 
he  never  returned  to  it ;  and  after  many  months  of  suffer 
ing,  his  constitution  undermined,  and  his  health  perma 
nently  destroyed,  he  was  forced  to  relinquish  the  command. 
But  though  forced  to  leave  the  field,  the  men  of  his 
regiment  never  ceased  to  cherish  feelings  of  love  and 
respect  for  their  first  commander.  They  had  witnessed 
his  bravery  on  the  field,  and  they  now  knew  that  he 
was  contending  with  disease  with  the  same  fortitude 
that  had  marked  his  course  in  the  army.  The  departure 
of  Colonel  McKean  from  the  service  was  not  only  a  great 
loss  to  his  regiment  but  to  the  whole  corps ;  for  he  was 
not  only  a  brave  officer,  but  a  gentleman  of  superior 
intellectual  endowments.  Another  of  the  sufferers  from 
typhoid  fever  was  Lieutenant  Bowe,  a  young  man  of  fine 
abilities  and  greatly  beloved  by  his  regiment.  After 
several  weeks  of  absence,  he  returned  to  camp  on  the  18th 
of  July  restored  to  health.  On  the  very  next  day,  while 
standing  with  several  officers  in  a  tent,  he  was  fatally 
wounded  by  an  accidental  shot  from  a  pistol.  His  father, 
hearing  of  the  sad  occurrence,  came  for  him  and  removed 


CHANGES.  119 

him  from  camp;  but  only  to  see  him  expire  in  a  few 
days. 

Changes  occurred  among  the  officers.  The  lieutenant- 
colonel  and  major  left  the  service,  the  first  by  resignation, 
the  other  by  dismissal.  Adjutant  French  was  made 
major,  and  afterwards  lieutenant-colonel,  which  office  he 
held  during  the  remainder  of  the  term  of  the  regiment. 
He  assumed  command  of  the  regiment  on  his  return  to  it 
after  the  battle  of  Antietam,  and  continued  in  command 
while  it  was  a  regiment.  Captains  and  lieutenants  also 
resigned.  Chaplain  Tully  and  Quartermaster  Shurtliff 
departed  for  ther  homes,  having  left  the  service.  Lieu 
tenant  Hayward  was  made  quartermaster,  a  position  for 
which  he  was  eminently  qualified,  and  which  he  thencefor 
ward  held  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the  entire  regiment. 


CHAPTER  XL 

RETREAT  FROM    THE  PENINSULA,    AND    GENERAL 
POPE'S  BULL  RUN  CAMPAIGN. 

Premonitions  of  a  change  of  base  — The  transfer  commenced  — Marching  down  the 
Peninsula  — On  board  transports  — A  contrast  — Arrival  at  Alexandria  — Unac 
countable  delays— General  Pope's  campaign  —  An  obstinate  general  — Causes  of 
Pope's  failure. 

EARLY  in  August,  rumors  were  floating  about  the  army, 
that  General  McClellan  had  received  positive  orders  to 
transfer  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  to  the  front  of  Wash 
ington,  there  to  unite  the  forces  of  the  two  armies ;  and 
that  this  plan  was  strongly  opposed  by  General  McClellan, 
who  insisted  that  he  wanted  only  a  few  thousand  more 
men  to  march  into  Richmond. 

The  army  had  received  large  reinforcements  since  arriv 
ing  at  Harrison's  Landing,  and  now  numbered  more  than 
one  hundred  thousand  men ;  not  by  any  means  an  incon 
siderable  force,  yet  too  small,  in  General  McClellan's 
opinion,  to  warrant  another  advance. 

But,  owing  to  the  movements  of  the  enemy  in  front  of 
General  Pope,  the  supposed  impracticability  of  the  route, 
and  to  some  distrust  as  to  the  abilities  of  General  McClellan 
by  the  authorities  at  Washington,  peremptory  orders  had 
been  sent  to  him  to  remove  his  army  as  quickly  as  possible 
from  the  Peninsula. 

What  the  merits  of  the  dispute  in  high  places  might  be, 
the  army  at  large  was  not  able  to  decide ;  but  the  rumors 
gave  rise  to  many  spirited  debates,  in  which  the  authorities 
at  Washington  and  the  authority  at  Harrison's  Bar  had 


THE   TRANSFER   COMMENCED.  121 

each  earnest  advocates.  At  length  it  became  known  that 
the  army  was  to  leave  the  Peninsula,  and  preparations  for 
this  important  movement  commenced.  The  work  of  ship 
ping  the  sick  and  wounded,  numbering  twelve  thousand 
five  hundred,  began;  but  it  was  not  carried  on  with  a 
degree  of  alacrity  satisfactory  to  the  War  Department  or 
the  President. 

The  wharves  along  the  river  side  became  the  scene  of 
immense  activity.  Ambulances  crowded  along  the  banks 
of  the  river,  laden  with  sick  and  wounded,  while  those 
from  the  hospitals  able  to  walk,  tottered  along  with 
trembling  steps,  their  wan  faces  and  sunken  eyes  telling 
their  story  of  suffering.  Transports  were  in  waiting  for 
these,  and  were  rapidly  filled  with  their  freight  of  suffer 
ing  humanity.  Everything  not  movable  was  ordered  to 
be  destroyed.  Tents  were  struck  and  taken  to  the  pickets 
who  had  left  them  behind,  and  everything  betokened  an 
important  movement.  Three  or  four  days  were  spent  in 
momentary  expectation  of  the  order  to  "  fall  in,"  but  still 
the  situation  remained  unchanged. 

At  length,  on  the  16th  of  August,  all  was  ready  and 
the  men  were  ordered  to  pack  their  knapsacks ;  but  the 
men  of  the  Sixth  corps  remained  in  camp  until  the  sun's 
rays  became  scorching;  then  the  column  moved  rapidly 
eastward.  A  hard  day's  march  on  the  16th  and  another 
on  the  17th,  brought  the  corps  in  sight  of  the  Chicka- 
hominy.  It  crossed  a  pontoon  bridge  of  enormous  extent, 
in  the  construction  of  which  ninety  boats  were  used, 
and  the  length  of  which  was  over  two  thousand  feet. 
Thoroughly  exhausted  the  men  bivouacked  on  the  eastern 
bank  of  the  Chickahominy. 

The  rebels,  now  aware  of  the  retreat,  were  following 

close   at  the  heels  of  the  Union  army,  but  declined  to 

make  any  offensive  demonstrations,  further  than  picking 

up  stragglers  and  those  that  fell  out  by  the  way  from 

10 


122  MARCHING  DOWN  THE  PENINSULA. 

weakness  and  fatigue.  The  main  portion  of  the  rebel 
army  was  now  occupied  in  important  movements  in 
another  direction. 

Another  rapid  march;  under  a  burning  sun,  brought  our 
corps  to  the  ancient  capital  of  the  Old  Dominion  —  Wil- 
liamsburgh.  Passing  through  its  streets  without  halting, 
taking  only  time  to  glance  at  its  now  dilapidated  build 
ings,  we  reached  the  familiar  scenes  of  the  old  battle-field, 
which,  three  months  before,  we  little  expected  to  recross 
before  the  downfall  of  the  rebellion.  Here  was  the  plain 
where  a  portion  of  our  Second  division  had,  by  its  gal 
lantry,  decided  the  fate  of  the  battle ;  the  scene  of  our 
bivouac  in  the  rain  and  mud,  and  the  redoubts  where 
lay  the  wounded  rebels,  whose  groans  had  rendered  the 
night  hideous.  In  the  midst  of  these  scenes  we  bivouacked 
again  for  the  night. 

At  dawn  the  column  moved  again,  and  after  a  fatiguing 
march  reached  Yorktown ;  our  Second  division  encamp 
ing  in  the  works  erected  by  Porter's  division  during  our 
famous  thirty  days'  siege  of  that  place. 

Many  of  the  men  had  by  this  time  become  exhausted ; 
and  a  long  train  of  ambulances  was  filled  with  these  and 
sent  ahead  on  the  morning  of  the  20th.  The  well  ones 
soon  followed  toward  Fortress  Monroe,  halting  on  the 
field  of  Big  Bethel.  This  was  the  first  visit  of  our  corps 
to  this  disastrous  field,  and  the  men  rambled  about  mani 
festing  great  interest  in  the  spot  rendered  sacred  by  the 
blood  of  Winthrop  and  Greble. 

Plums,  peaches  and  sweet  potatoes  constituted  novel 
additions  to  the  diet  of  the  men,  and  although  the  two 
former  were  unripe,  their  good  effects  were  manifested  in 
arresting  multitudes  of  those  troublesome  cases  of  diarrhea 
which  had  resisted  all  treatment  so  long  as  the  men  were 
deprived  of  acid  fruits.  Another  hard  march  on  the  21st 
brought  the  corps  again,  after  five  months'  absence,  to  the 


ON   BOARD   THE   TRANSPORTS.  123 

vicinity  of  the  desolated  village  of  Hampton,  and  the  end 
of  our  march  for  the  present.  The  whole  army  was 
crowded  along  the  shores,  waiting  to  embark  for  Aquia. 
Transports  of  every  size  and  description  were  riding  upon 
the  bay  or  lashed  to  the  wharves,  and  infantry,  cavalry 
and  artillery  were  crowding  toward  the  beach  ready  to 
take  their  turn  to  embark.  The  scene  was  one  of  unusual 
activity,  resembling  only  the  one  we  had  witnessed  on 
embarking  for  the  Peninsula  months  ago. 

At  length  all  were  on  board,  and  the  transports  swung 
out  upon  the  bay  and  steamed  up  the  Potomac.  One  of 
the  transports  on  which  a  portion  of  the  Second  division 
was  embarked,  the  "  Vanderbilt,"  had  been,  in  other  days, 
an  old  friend,  as  she  ploughed  up  and  down  the  Hudson ; 
now  her  magnificent  saloons,  which  had  been  of  dazzling 
beauty,  were  dismantled  and  disfigured.  No  gorgeous 
drapery  or  gilded  mirrors  adorned  them,  but  desolation 
and  filth  prevailed. 

The  weather  was  charming,  and,  except  for  the  crowded 
condition  of  the  transports,  the  trip  would  have  been  a 
delightful  one.  What  a  contrast  was  there  in  the  appear., 
ance  of  those  same  men  now,  and  when  they  came  down  the 
river  in  April !  Then  our  ranks  were  full ;  the  men  were 
healthy  and  in  fresh  vigor;  their  uniforms  were  new  and 
clean,  and  their  muskets  and  equipments  were  polished 
and  glistening.  Now,  we  looked  about  with  sadness  when 
we  remembered  how  many  of  our  former  companions  were 
absent,  and  how  few  present.  We  could  bring  to  mind 
many  who  went  to  the  Peninsula,  full  of  hope,  who  had  sunk 
as  victims  of  the  malarial  poisons,  and  now  rested  in  hum 
ble  graves  at  Yorktown  or  along  the  Chickahominy ;  and 
many  others  who  had  nobly  fallen  upon  the  field  of  strife ; 
and  yet  others  who  now  were  wearing  out  tedious  days 
of  sickness  in  hospitals  or  at  home. 

The  little  band  that  remained  could  hardly  be  recog- 


124  A    COXTRAST. 

nized  as  the  same  men  who  left  the  defenses  of  Washing 
ton  but  a  few  months  since ;  their  faces  were  now  bronzed 
from  constant  exposure  to  the  scorching  rays  of  the  sun, 
and  their  clothing  was  worn  and  soiled.  Hats  and  caps 
of  every  description :  hats  of  straw  and  of  palm  leaf,  of 
brown  wool,  black  wool,  and  what  had  been  white  wool. 
Caps  military  and  caps  not  military,  all  alike  in  only  one 
respect,  that  all  were  much  the  worse  for  wear.  It  would 
have  puzzled  a  stranger  to  have  determined  from  this 
diversity  of  apparel,  what  was  the  regular  uniform  of  our 
troops. 

We  came  up  the  river  with  feelings  far  less  exultant 
and  confidant  than  those  experienced  in  our  downward 
trip.  Indeed  a  gloom  hung  over  the  minds  of  all.  The 
army  was  satisfied  that  General  McClellan  would  be  re 
moved  from  command,  and  it  was  said  that  General  Pope 
or  General  Burnside  would  be  his  successor.  Though  they 
remembered  the  brilliant  successes  of  the  one  in  the  west 
and  of  the  other  in  the  south,  many  expressed  fears  that 
the  command  of  a  large  army  might  be  as  fatal  to  either 
of  these  as  it  had  been  to  General  McClellan. 

At  sunset  of  the  23d,  the  transports  bearing  the  two 
divisions  of  the  Sixth  corps,  were  anchored  just  off  Alex 
andria  ;  but  none  of  the  men  were  allowed  to  go  ashore. 
Spending  another  night  in  the  crowded  vessels,  where  the 
foul  air  prevailing  between  decks  rendered  breathing  any 
thing  but  a  luxury,  the  men  hailed  the  appearance  of 
daylight  as  the  time  for  their  liberation  from  this  close 
and  unpleasant  confinement. 

The  process  of  disembarking  progressed  rapidly,  and 
the  divisions  were  marched  through  the  city  to  a  field 
about  a  mile  beyond  its  limits,  where  we  encamped  near 
Fort  Ellsworth. 

Although  this  was  on  Sunday  morning,  and  it  was  known 
that  Pope's  army  was  fighting  the  enemy  even  before  we 


GENERAL  BANKS  AT  CEDAR  MOUNTAIN.       125 

left  the  Peninsula,  and  was  in  need  of  reinforcements ;  yet 
no  signs  of  marching  occurred  until  Thursday. 

Let  us  now  turn  back  for  a  moment  and  hastily  glance 
at  the  movements  of  General  Pope  and  his  army,  which 
had  now  for  several  days  been  actively  engaged.  The 
battle  of  Cedar  Mountain  was  fought  on  Saturday,  August 
9th.  General  Banks,  pushing  his  corps  toward  Cedar 
Mountain,  and,  finding  the  enemy  in  his  front,  had  boldly 
attacked  him.  The  confederate  forces  were  led  by  General 
Jackson,  and  outnumbered  the  forces  under  General  Banks. 
The  field  was  hotly  contested  for  an  hour  and  a  half,  when 
our  forces  were  obliged  to  fall  back ;  but  being  reinforced 
by  Rickett's  division,  they  were  able  to  prevent  the  enemy 
from  occupying  the  field.  During  the  night,  Jackson  with 
drew  his  forces,  leaving  the  ground  in  our  hands,  which 
was  at  once  occupied  by  the  Union  forces. 

The  whole  of  Sunday  was  occupied  in  burying  the  dead 
and  bringing  off  the  wounded  of  both  armies.  Our  men 
had  behaved  with  great  bravery,  and  the  gallantry  and 
zeal  of  General  Banks  was  what  might  have  been  expected 
from  that  general.  The  field  was  yet  in  our  hands ;  yet 
the  battle  could  hardly  be  called  a  decided  victory  for  our 
arms.  Jackson  retreated  rapidly  across  the  Rapidan,  in 
the  direction  of  Gordonsville,  leaving  many  dead  and 
wounded  along  the  road  from  Cedar  Mountain  to  Orange 
Court  House.  Except  to  follow  up  the  enemy  with  cavalry 
as  far  as  Orange  Court*  House,  no  important  move  was 
made  for  several  days  by  the  forces  under  General  Pope. 

Reinforcements  were  constantly  arriving  for  Jackson, 
and  it  became  evident,  by  the  18th,  that  nearly  the  whole 
of  Lee's  army  was  assembling  in  front  of  General  Pope, 
along  the  south  side  of  the  Rapidan.  Among  papers 
captured  from  the  enemy  at  this  time,  was  an  autograph 
letter  from  General  Robert  Lee  to  General  Stuart,  stating 
his  determination  to  overwhelm  General  Pope's  army 


126  GENERAL  POPE'S   CAMPAIGN. 

before  it  could  be  reinforced  by  any  portion  of  the 
army  of  the  Potomac. 

The  whole  army  was  now  ordered  to  fall  back  and 
occupy  a  stronger  position  behind  the  Rappahannock. 
The  movement  was  executed  on  the  18th  and  19th  of 
August,  without  loss;  the  new  line  extending  from 
Kelley's  Ford  to  a  point  three  miles  above  Rappahan 
nock  Station.  The  enemy  appeared  next  day  at  the 
various  fords,  but,  finding  them  strongly  guarded,  waited 
for  all  their  forces  to  arrive  from  the  Rapidan. 

The  whole  of  the  21st  and  22d  were  spent  by  the  enemy 
in  efforts  to  cross  the  river,  and  a  fierce  artillery  duel  pre 
vailed  along  the  line  for  more  than  seven  miles  in  extent, 
but  the  rebels  were  repulsed  at  every  point,  and  withdrew 
with  the  intention  of  moving  up  the  river  and  turning  the 
flank  of  the  Union  army. 

General  Pope,  appreciating  the  danger  of  this  movement 
on  the  part  of  the  rebels,  telegraphed  to  Washington,  and, 
in  reply,  was  assured  that,  if  he  could  hold  out  two  days 
longer,  he  should  be  so  strongly  reinforced  as  to  enable 
him,  not  only  to  hold  his  position,  but  to  take  the  offensive. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that,  with  the  exception  of  one  or 
two  small  divisions,  no  reinforcements  reached  him  within 
that  time ;  and  although  General  Porter  reported  to  him 
by  letter  from  Bealton  on  the  25th,  it  had  been  better  for 
General  Pope  had  he  not  come  at  all.  On  the  night  of 
the  26th,  Jackson,  coming  through  Thoroughfare  Gap,  got 
in  the  rear  of  Pope's  army  and  cut  the  railroad  at  Kettle 
Run,  near  Warrenton  Junction.  Lee  was  still  in  front,  in 
the  vicinity  of  Sulphur  Springs.  General  Pope,  desiring 
at  the  same  time  to  fall  back  toward  Centreville  and  inter 
pose  his  army  between  Jackson's  and  Lee's  forces,  ordered 
a^retrogade  movement.  His  troops  were  by  this  time 
fairly  exhausted.  In  his  report  to  the  Secretary  of  War, 
he  says:  "From  the  18th  of  August,  until  the  morning 


AN    OBSTINATE    GENERAL.  127 

of  the  27th,  the  troops  under  my  command  had  been  con 
tinually  inarching  and  fighting  night  and  day  ;  and  during 
the  whole  of  that  time  there  was  scarcely  an  interval  of 
an  hour  without  the  roar  of  artillery.  The  men  had  had 
little  sleep,  and  were  greatly  worn  down  with  fatigue ; 
had  had  little  time  to  get  proper  food  or  to  eat  it ;  had 
been  engaged  in  constant  battles  and  skirmishes,  and  had 
performed  services,  laborious,  dangerous  and  excessive, 
beyond  any  previous  experience  in  this  country."  Jack 
son  had  succeeded  in  burning  fifty  cars  at  Bristow  Station, 
and  a  hundred  more  at  Manassas  Junction,  heavily  laden 
with  ammunition  and  supplies.  On  the  afternoon  of 
the  27th,  a  severe  engagement  occurred  between  Hook 
er's  division  of  Heintzelman's  corps,  which  had  arrived 
the  evening  before,  and  Ewell's  division  of  Longstreet's 
corps,  near  Bristow  Station.  Ewell  was  driven  back ; 
the  loss  on  each  side  being  about  three  hundred.  Dur 
ing  the  night,  General  McDowell  with  his  corps,  and 
Generals  Reno  and  Kearney  with  their  divisions,  took  such 
positions  as  effectually  to  interpose  between  Jackson's 
forces  and  Lee's,  and  no  alternative  was  left  Jackson  but 
to  turn  upon  Hooker  and  rout  him,  or  to  retreat  by  way 
of  Centreville.  Hooker's  men  had  exhausted  their  ammu 
nition,  so  that  there  were  but  five  rounds  per  man  left. 
General  Pope,  fearing  that  Hooker  would  be  attacked,  dis 
patched  an  aid  to  General  Porter  with  orders  to  join 
Hooker  at  once.  The  aid  was  instructed  to  inform  Gen 
eral  Porter  of  the  immediate  necessity  of  moving  at  once, 
and  to  remain  and  guide  him  to  the  place.  But  Porter 
utterly  refused  to  obey  the  order.  Most  fortunately  for 
our  army,  Jackson,  ignorant  of  Hooker's  weakness,  deter 
mined  to  retreat  by  way  of  Centreville ;  a  mistake  which 
prevented  most  serious  consequences  to  us.  Jackson  in 
his  retreat  was  hotly  pursued,  and  on  the  28th  a  severe 
battle  took  place  between  McDowell's  corps  and  the 


12$  SECOND   BULL   KUN. 

retreating  column,  in  which  our  forces  gained  decided 
advantages.  On  the  29th,  Jackson  was  again  near  the 
old  Bull  Run  battle-ground,  and  a  terrific  battle  ensued, 
which  lasted  with  great  fury  from  daylight  until  dark. 
The  rebels  were  driven  from  the  field,  which  was  occupied 
by  our  men.  General  Pope  sent  peremptory  orders  to 
Fitz  John  Porter  to  move  at  once  upon  Centreville  ;  which 
would  have  cut  off  Jackson's  retreat ;  but  again  this  com 
mander  refused  to  obey  orders,  and  Jackson  was  enabled 
to  unite  with  Lee,  who  had  by  this  time  reached  Thorough 
fare  Gap,  and  was  pushing  on  toward  him.  Had  the 
orders  of  General  Pope  been  carried  out,  Jackson  must 
without  doubt  have  been  crushed  before  Lee's  forces  could 
by  any  possibility  have  reached  the  field  of  action. 

On  the  following  day  the  whole  of  both  armies  were 
brought  face  to  face  with  each  other.  General  Pope,  by 
this  time  hopeless  of  any  aid  from  the  fresh  troops  he  had 
expected  long  before  this  from  Washington,  and  aware  of 
the  disaffection  of  the  largest  and  freshest  corps  in  his 
command,  although  nearly  discouraged,  determined  to 
give  battle  and  inflict  as  much  damage  as  possible  upon  the 
enemy.  His  force  now,  including  Porter's  corps,  was 
about  forty  thousand.  The  whole  of  Lee's  and  Jackson's 
forces  now  pressed  upon  our  lines  with  terrible  effect. 

The  action  raged  with  great  fury  for  several  hours ;  the 
rebels  constantly  massing  heavy  columns  against  our  lines, 
especially  upon  the  left,  where  McDowell's  and  Sigel's 
corps  resisted  the  onset  with  great  bravery,  but  were  at 
length  forced  to  yield,  when  an  utter  rout  took  place ;  the 
whole  army  falling  back  upon  Centreville  in  great  disor 
der.  On  this  day,  for  the  first  time  in  all  these  long  series 
of  battles,  Porter's  corps  was  brought  into  action.  The 
conduct  of  the  corps,  in  the  early  part  of  the  day,  showed 
a  determination  on  the  part  of  its  leaders  not  to  fight,  and 
the  men  fell  back  in  disorder ;  but  being  rallied  later  in 


UNACCOUNTABLE   DELAYS.  129 

the  day,  the  pride  of  the  men  overcame  the  obstinacy  of 
their  commanders  and  the  corps  did  good  service.  Hooker's 
and  Kearney's  divisions,  and  Reynolds'  Pennsylvania 
reserves  had  rendered  most  gallant  services  from  the  time 
they  reached  General  Pope's  army. 

Returning  now  to  our  Sixth  corps  under  General  Frank 
lin.  The  corps  remained  quietly  at  Alexandria,  from  the 
morning  of  the  24th  until  the  afternoon  of  the  29th. 
Rations  and  ammunition  were  as  well  supplied  when  we 
reached  Alexandria  as  when  we  left.  The  booming  of 
cannon  was  heard  on  the  26th  and  27th,  and  contrabands 
and  white  refugees  informed  us  that  terrible  fighting  was 
in  progress  beyond  Manassas.  We  wondered  that  we  were 
not  ordered  to  go  to  the  relief  of  the  little  army  which 
we  knew  was  resisting  the  whole  of  Lee's  and  Jackson's 
forces. 

On  Thursday  afternoon,  August  28th,  the  corps  received 
marching  orders.  Tents  were  struck,  knapsacks  packed, 
rations  provided,  and  many  regiments,  shouldering  their 
knapsacks,  stood  in  line  ready  to  move.  But  sunset  came 
and  no  further  orders.  The  men  waited  impatiently,  only 
a  few  venturing  to  unpack  their  knapsacks  or  pitch  their 
tents,  until  long  after  dark. 

Friday  morning  brought  few  indications  of  an  advance. 
Head-quarter  tents  remained  standing,  artillery  horses  stood 
unharnessed,  and  everything  showed  an  intentional  delay. 
At  length  the  corps  moved.  Marching  quietly  and  easily, 
the  old  ground  of  Camp  Misery  was  passed,  and  the  corps 
reached  Annandale,  where  it  halted  and  encamped  after  an 
easy  march  of  six  miles.  Saturday  morning  the  corps 
again  moved  leisurely  along,  making  very  frequent  halts. 
The  firing  in  front  indicated  a  hardly  contested  battle, 
and  our  men,  knowing  that  Pope  must  be  in  need  of 
reinforcements,  were  anxious  to  push  forward  rapidly. 
Every  hour  the  corps  halted  for  at  least  twenty  minutes, 
17 


130  A   DEMORALIZED   CAPTAIN. 

and  sometimes  even  longer.  At  this  snail  pace  we  passed 
Fairfax  Court  House,  the  roar  of  musketry  and  artillery 
becoming  constantly  louder  in  front,  and  arrived  at 
Centreville.  Orders  immediately  came  for  the  corps  to 
proceed  to  Cub  Run,  about  two  miles  beyond  Centreville. 
Here,  wounded  men  by  hundreds  and  stragglers  in  greater 
numbers  passed  across  the  little  bridge  over  the  run,  a 
dismal  crowd,  hastening  toward  Centreville. 

As  usual  at  such  times,  scores  of  cowardly  villains  were 
attempting  to  pass  to  the  rear  as  wounded  men. 

An  amusing  encounter  occurred  between  one  of  this 
class,  a  coward  in  captain's  uniform,  and  one  of  our  own 
officers,  Captain  Deyoe,  as  brave  a  fellow  as  ever  drew  a 
sword.  The  demoralized  captain,  his  sword  thrown  away 
and  its  sheath  after  it,  came  hurriedly  upon  the  bridge, 
where  Deyoe  was  sitting,  coolly  filling  his  pipe.  The 
fugitive  captain  turned  his  face,  pale  with  fright,  to  the 
imperturbable  Deyoe,  and,  striking  him  on  the  shoulder, 
said  with  as  much  composure  as  he  could  muster,  "  Cap 
tain,  we  have  had  hard  times  of  it  out  there,  but  don't  be 
afraid,  don't  be  afraid."  Deyoe,  turning  his  face  toward 
that  of  the  straggler  with  a  look  of  unruffled  coolness  and 
unmitigated  contempt,  replied,  "Well,  who  the  d —  is 
afraid?  Oh,  yes,  I  see,  you  are.  Well,  you  had  better 
get  away  from  here  then ! " 

The  corps  remained  at  Cub  Run  until  nightfall,  when  it 
was  ordered  to  return  to  Centreville,  where  it  encamped. 
Regiments  from  our  Third  brigade  were  sent  to  the  rear 
of  Centreville  to  arrest  stragglers,  who  were  hurrying 
toward  Alexandria  in  great  numbers. 

The  regiments  were  drawn  up  in  line  across  the  turn 
pike,  where  they  remained  all  night,  turning  back  hundreds 
of  stragglers  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet. 

The  scene  at  Centreville  on  the  next  day  was  one  of 
the  utmost  confusion.  Thousands  of  stragglers  wandered 


AN   ARMY    OF   SKULKERS.  131 

about  without  knowing  or  caring  what  had  become  of 
their  commands ;  long  columns  of  shattered  regiments  and 
batteries  filed  past  to  take  up  new  positions,  either  within 
the  intrenchments  or  on  the  flanks.  The  appearance  of 
these  skeletons  of  regiments  and  batteries  gave  evidence 
of  the  terrible  experiences  of  this  long  series  of  engage 
ments.  Their  ranks,  thinned  by  the  fortunes  of  battle, 
and  still  more  by  the  disgraceful  skulking  which  had 
become  so  universal,  the  worn  and  weary  appearance  of 
the  men,  their  flags,  each  surrounded  by  only  enough  men 
to  constitute  a  respectable  color-guard,  all  showed  that 
even  the  hard  experiences  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
had  never  had  so  demoralizing  an  eifect  as  this. 

The  skulkers  were  loud-mouthed  in  their  denunciations 
of  General  McDowell.  Hundreds  of  them,  who  had  in  all 
probability  not  been  near  enough  to  the  front  during  the 
whole  retreat  to  know  anything  that  was  going  on  there, 
declared  that  they  had  seen  him  waving  that  mystic  white 
hat  as  a  signal  to  the  rebels;  and  all  knew  that  it  was 
through  his  treachery  that  the  army  had  been  destroyed. 
Others  declared  positively  that  they  had  seen,  with  their 
own  eyes,  General  McClellan,  with  a  small  body  of  faith 
ful  followers,  dash  against  the  advancing  foe,  and  arrest 
the  pursuit !  Such  wild  and  improbable  stories  filled  the 
whole  atmosphere,  and,  strangest  of  all,  were  believed  by 
thousands,  not  only  in  the  army,  but  throughout  the  whole 
north. 

Long  trains  of  ambulances  were  bringing  from  the 
battle-field  wounded  men,  who  had  been,  since  Saturday, 
exposed  to  the  burning  sun  and  the  storm  which  had  pre 
vailed  during  Sunday  night. 

Temporary  hospitals  were  established,  and  surgeons 
were  actively  employed  in  ministering  to  the  relief  of  the 
unfortunate.  Monday  evening  the  battle  of  Glendale  or 
Chantilly  was  fought,  in  the  midst  of  a  terrific  thunder 


|32  END  OF  POPE'S  CAMPAIGN. 

storm.  The  enemy,  in  attempting  to  turn  our  right,  had 
been  met  by  Hooker,  Reno,  McDowell  and  Kearney,  and 
repulsed  with  heavy  loss,  from  our  entire  front.  But  the 
victory  was  a  costly  one  for  us.  The  brave,  earnest  and 
accomplished  soldier,  Major-General  Kearney,  and  the 
gallant  Stevens,  were  both  killed  while  leading  their  com 
mands  against  the  enemy. 

The  Sixth  corps,  on  Monday  evening,  was  marched  back 
to  Fairfax  Court  House ;  but  early  next  morning  returned 
within  a  mile  of  Centreville,  when  it  took  possession  of 
the  heights,  and  lay  in  line  of  battle  until  three  o'clock 
p.  M.,  when  orders  were  received  to  march  back  to  our  old 
camp  at  Alexandria,  which  we  reached  at  ten  o'clock  the 
same  night ,  thus  making  in  a  single  evening,  a  distance 
that  had  required  two  full  days  and  a  part  of  another,  to 
march,  in  going  out. 

Thus  ended  General  Pope's  campaign  in  Virginia. 
Never  was  a  campaign  so  misrepresented  or  so  little 
understood ;  and  never  were  the  motives  of  men  so  falsely 
judged  as  were  those  of  the  generals  connected  with  this 
campaign. 

General  Pope  had  fallen  a  victim  to  the  foulest  treachery 
of  ambitious  rivals,  rather  than  to  the  strength  of  his 
open  foes.  Any  one  who  will  in  candor  trace  the  move 
ments  and  the  handling  of  that  little  army,  when  beset 
by  an  enemy  now  known  to  have  been  double  its  own 
strength,  must  concede  that  his  plans  were  well  conceived, 
and  his  generalship  in  this  campaign  fully  equaled  that 
which  had  won  him  so  great  renown  in  the  west. 

That  the  defeat  of  General  Pope  was  brought  about  by 
the  rivalry  and  jealousy  of  generals  of  the  Union  army 
cannot  now  be  doubted.  We  know  why  Porter  withheld 
the  largest  and  freshest  corps  in  the  command  from  the 
fights,  while  its  eleven  thousand  men  were  within  sight  of 
the  battles ;  but  why  was  the  Sixth  corps  delayed  ?  Some 


WHO   WAS   RESPONSIBLE?  133 

one  was  equally  culpable  with  Porter.  Was  it  worse 
to  keep  a  corps  out  of  the  fight,  when  on  the  field,  than  to 
keep  another  corps  oft*  from  the  field  altogether  without 
any  good  reason  ?  There  can  be  but  one  question  —  who 
was  responsible  for  the  criminal  neglect  to  send  the  Sixth 
corps  to  the  assistance  of  Pope's  army  ? 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  MARYLAND   CAMPAIGN. 

General  McClellan  restored  to  command  -  March  through  Washington  -  Leisurely 
campaigning -Battle  of  Crampton  Pass -Death  of  Mathison  -  Battle  of  South 
Mountain  Pass  —  Death  of  Reno  —  Surrender  of  Harper's  Ferry  —  March  to 
Antietam. 

GENERAL  POPE,  at  his  own  request,  was  relieved  from 
the  command  of  the  army,  and  General  McClellan  resumed 
the  direction.  Whatever  might  have  been  the  real  fitness 
of  General  Pope  to  command,  his  usefulness  with  the 
army  just  driven  back  upon  the  defenses  of  Washington, 
had  departed.  The  return  of  General  McClellan  was 
hailed  with  joy  by  a  large  portion  of  the  army. 

On  the  5th  of  September,  Lee  crossed  the  Potomac  into 
Maryland,  and  occupied  Frederick  City.  General  McClel 
lan  was  ordered  to  push  forward  at  once  and  meet  him. 
It  was  on  the  evening  of  the  6th  that  orders  were  issued 
to  move.  It  was  but  short  work  to  pack  up  our  limited 
supply  of  clothing,  cooking  utensils  and  the  few  other 
articles  which  constituted  our  store  of  worldly  goods,  and 
prepare  to  march.  We  left  Alexandria,  and  proceeding 
toward  Washington,  passed  Fort  Albany  and  crossed  the 
Long  Bridge,  the  moon  and  stars  shining  with  a  brilliancy 
seldom  equaled,  rendering  the  night  march  a  pleasant  one. 
As  the  steady  tramp  of  the  soldiers  upon  the  pavements 
was  heard  by  the  citizens  of  Washington,  they  crowded 
upon  the  walks,  eager  to  get  a  glance,  even  by  moonlight, 
of  the  veterans  who  had  passed  through  such  untold  hard 
ships.  Many  were  the  questions  regarding  our  destination, 


LEISURELY   CAMPAIGNING.  135 

"but  we  could  only  answer,  "We  are  going  to  meet  the 
rebels."  Passing  through  Georgetown,  we  reached  the 
little  village  of  Tanleytown,  where,  weary  from  the  short 
but  rapid  march,  we  spent  the  remainder  of  the  night  in 
sleep.  The  morning  passed  without  orders  to  move,  and 
it  was  not  until  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  that  we  again 
commenced  the  march,  when,  having  proceeded  six  miles, 
we  halted.  At  daybreak  on  the  morning  of  the  8th,  the 
corps  was  moving  again,  and  passing  through  Rockville 
we  halted,  after  an  easy  stage  of  six  miles. 

On  the  9th  we  marched  three  miles,  making  our  camp  at 
Johnstown.  On  the  following  morning,  at  9  o'clock,  we 
were  again  on  the  move,  driving  before  us  small  bodies  of 
rebel  cavalry,  and  reaching  Barnesville,  a  small  village, 
ten  miles  from  our  encampment  of  the  night  before.  Our 
Third  brigade,  of  the  Second  division,  was  quartered  on  the 
plantation  of  a  noted  secessionist,  who,  on  our  approach, 
had  suddenly  decamped,  leaving  at  our  disposal  a  very 
large  orchard,  whose  trees  were  loaded  with  delicious 
fruit,  and  his  poultry  yard  well  stocked  with  choice  fowls. 
Our  boys  were  not  slow  to  appropriate  to  their  own  use 
these  luxuries,  which,  they  declared,  were  great  improve 
ments  on  pork  and  hard  tack.  In  the  enjoyment  of  ease 
and  abundance,  we  remained  here  until  the  morning  of  the 
12th,  when  we  resumed  the  march,  proceeding  ten  miles 
farther,  halting  near  Urbana,  at  Monocacy  bridge,  which 
had  been  destroyed  by  the  rebels,  but  was  now  rebuilt. 
On  the  same  day  General  Burnside,  having  the  advance, 
entered  Frederick,  encountering  a  few  skirmishers  of  the 
enemy,  which  he  drove.  On  the  13th,  we  arrived  at 
the  lovely  village  of  Jefferson,  having  made  ten  miles 
more,  and  having  driven  a  detachment  of  rebels  through 
Jefferson  Pass. 

The  advance  was  sounded  at  ten  o'clock  on  the  moraine*- 

O 

of  the  14th,  and  at  three  we  found  ourselves  near  the  foot 


136  BURKETTSVILLE. 

of  the  South  Mountain  range,  having  marched  about  fifty 
miles  in  eight  days.  Upon  the  advance  of  Burnside  into 
Frederick,  the  rebel  force  had  fallen  back,  taking  the  two 
roads  which  led  through  Middletown  and  Burkettsville, 
and  which  crossed  the  South  Mountains  through  deep 
gorges,  the  northern  called  South  Mountain  or  Turner's 
Pass,  and  the  other,  six  miles  south  of  it,  Crampton  Pass. 

These  passes  the  rebels  had  strongly  fortified,  and  had 
arranged  their  batteries  on  the  crests  of  neighboring  hills. 
The  Sixth  corps  came  to  a  halt  when  within  about  a  mile 
and  a  half  of  Crampton  Pass,  and  a  reconnoissance  was 
ordered. 

General  Franklin  was  now  directed  to  force  the  pass 
with  the  Sixth  corps,  while  the  remaining  corps  should 
push  on  to  the  South  Mountain  Pass  and  drive  the  enemy 
through  it.  We  formed  in  line  of  battle  and  advanced. 
Before  us  lay  the  little  village  of  Burkettsville,  nestling 
under  the  shadow  of  those  rugged  mountains,  its  white 
houses  gleaming  out  of  the  dark  green  foliage.  Beyond 
were  the  South  Mountains ;  their  summits  crowned  with  bat 
teries  of  artillery  and  gray  lines  of  rebels,  while  the  heavily 
wooded  sides  concealed  great  numbers  of  the  enemy. 

A  winding  road,  leading  up  the  mountain  side  and 
through  a  narrow  defile,  known  as  Crampton's  Gap,  con 
stituted  one  of  the  two  passages  to  the  other  side  of  the 
range  ;  South  Mountain  Gap  being  the  other.  The  enemy 
had  planted  batteries  and  posted  troops  behind  barricades, 
and  in  such  positions  as  most  effectually  to  dispute  our 
passage. 

At  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  was  a  stone  wall,  behind 
which  was  the  first  rebel  line  of  battle,  while  their  skir 
mishers  held  the  ground  for  some  distance  in  front.  The 
position  was  a  strong  one;  admirably  calculated  for 
defense,  and  could  be  held  by  a  small  force  against  a  much 
larger  one. 


BATTLE  OP  CRAMPTON  PASS.  137 

The  day  was  far  advanced  when  the  attack  was  ordered. 
No  sooner  had  the  lines  of  blue  uniforms  emerged  from  the 
cover  of  the  woods,  than  the  batteries  on  the  hill  tops  opened 
upon  them.  The  mountains,  like  huge  volcanoes,  belched 
forth  fire  and  smoke.  The  earth  trembled  beneath  us,  and 
the  air  was  filled  with  the  howling  of  shells  which  flew  over 
our  heads,  and  ploughed  the  earth  at  our  feet.  At  the 
same  time,  the  line  of  battle  behind  the  stone  wall  opened 
upon  us  a  fierce  fire  of  musketry.  In  the  face  of  this  storm 
of  shells  and  bullets,  the  corps  pressed  forward  at  double 
quick,  over  the  ploughed  grounds  and  through  the  corn 
fields,  halting  for  a  few  moments  at  the  village.  The  citi 
zens,  regardless  of  the  shells  which  were  crashing  through 
their  houses,  welcomed  us  heartily,  bringing  water  to  fill 
the  canteens,  and  supplying  us  liberally  from  the  scanty 
store  left  them  by  the  marauding  rebels. 

Patriotic  ladies  cheered  the  Union  boys  and  brought  them 
food;  and  well  might  they  rejoice  at  the  approach  of  the 
Union  army,  after  their  recent  experience  with  the  rebels, 
who  had  robbed  them  of  almost  everything  they  possessed 
in  the  way  of  movable  property. 

After  a  few  minutes,  in  which  our  soldiers  took  breath, 
the  advance  was  once  more  sounded,  and  again  we  pushed 
on  in  face  of  a  murderous  fire,  at  the  same  time  pouring 
into  the  face  of  the  foe  a  storm  of  leaden  hail.  Slocum's 
division,  of  the  Sixth  corps,  advanced  on  the  right  of  the 
turnpike,  while  Smith's  division  pushed  directly  forward 
on  the  road  and  on  the  left  of  it.  After  severe  fighting 
by  both  divisions,  having  driven  the  enemy  from  point  to 
point,  Slocum's  troops,  about  three  o'clock,  succeeded  in 
seizing  the  pass,  while  our  Second  division  pressed  up 
the  wooded  sides  of  the  mountain,  charging  a  battery 
at  the  left  of  the  pass  and  capturing  two  of  its  guns. 
The  confederates  fled  precipitately  down  the  west  side 
of  the  mountain,  and  our  flags  were  waved  in  triumph 
18 


138  DEATH   OF   MATHISON. 

from  the  heights  which  had  so  lately  thundered  destruc 
tion  upon  us.  As  we  advanced,  we  wondered,  not  that 
the  foe  had  offered  such  stubborn  resistance,  but  that  the 
position  had  been  yielded  at  all.  Their  dead  strewed  our 
path,  and  great  care  was  required,  as  we  passed  along  the 
road,  to  avoid  treading  upon  the  lifeless  remains  which 
lay  thickly  upon  the  ground.  On  every  side  the  evi 
dences  of  the  fearful  conflict  multiplied.  Trees  were 
literally  cut  to  pieces  by  shells  and  bullets ;  a  continual 
procession  of  rebel  wounded  and  prisoners  lined  the  road 
sides,  while  knapsacks,  guns,  canteens  and  haversacks 
were  scattered  in  great  confusion.  The  rebel  force  made 
its  way  into  Pleasant  Valley,  leaving  in  our  hands  their 
dead  and  wounded,  three  stand  of  colors,  two  pieces  of 
artillery  and  many  prisoners.  Our  troops  scoured  the 
woods  until  midnight,  bringing  in  large  numbers  of 
stragglers. 

We  had  lost  quite  heavily ;  some  of  our  best  men  had 
fallen.  Colonel  Mathison,  who  commanded  the  Third  bri 
gade  of  Slocum's  division,  whose  heroism  at  Games'  Farm, 
and  bravery  in  all  our  campaign  on  the  Peninsula,  had 
endeared  him  to  his  division,  was  among  the  killed. 

The  corps  moved  down  the  road  to  the  western  side  of 
the  mountains,  our  men  resting  on  their  arms  for  the  night, 
expecting  that  the  battle  would  be  renewed  at  dawn.  But 
the  morning  revealed  no  enemy  in  our  front ;  we  were  in 
quiet  possession  of  the  valley. 

Meanwhile  on  the  right,  at  South  Mountain  Pass,  a  still 
more  sanguinary  battle  had  been  in  progress. 

On  the  morning  of  the  14th,  the  Ninth  corps,  Burnside's 
veterans,  the  heroes  of  Roanoke  and  Newbern,  under  the 
command  of  the  gallant  Reno,  advanced  from  Middletown ; 
and  coming  near  the  base  of  the  mountains,  found  the 
enemy  strongly  posted  on  the  crests  of  the  hills,  thronging 
the  thickly  wooded  sides,  and  crowding  in  the  gap.  No 


BATTLE    OF   SOUTH    MOUNTAIN".  139 

matter  what  position  the  brave  boys  occupied,  they  were 
submitted  to  a  murderous  fire  from  the  crests  and  sides 
of  the  mountains.  Unaer  this  galling  fire,  the  First  division 
of  the  corps  formed  in  line  of  battle,  and  advanced  toward 
the  frowning  heights.  It  was  an  undertaking  requiring 
more  than  ordinary  valor,  to  attempt  to  wrest  from  an 
enemy  strong  in  numbers,  a  position  so  formidable  for 
defense ;  but  the  men  approaching  those  rugged  mountain 
sides  had  become  accustomed  to  overcome  obstacles,  and 
to  regard  all  things  as  possible  which  they  were  con> 
manded  to  do.  Under  cover  of  a  storm  of  shells,  thrown 
upward  to  the  heights,  the  line  of  battle  advanced,  with 
courage  and  firmness,  in  face  of  terrible  resistance,  gaining 
much  ground  and  driving  the  rebels  from  their  first  line 
of  defenses.  Now,  the  corps  of  Hooker  rushed  to  the 
assistance  of  the  Ninth.  As  the  gallant  general  and  his 
staif  rode  along  the  lines,  enthusiastic  cheers  for  "  Fighting 
Joe  Hooker,"  greeted  him  everywhere.  Forming  his 
divisions  hastily,  he  pushed  them  on  the  enemy's  lines  at 
once. 

Thus  far,  the  battle  had  been  principally  maintained  by 
artillery  ;  the  rattle  of  musketry  coming  occasionally  from 
one  or  another  part  of  Reno's  line.  But  now,  the  whole 
line  was  pushing  against  the  rebel  line,  and  the  continued 
roll  of  musketry  told  of  close  work  for  the  infantry, 
Reno's  troops  on  the  left  and  Hooker's  on  the  right,  were 
doing  noble  fighting.  The  advancing  line  never  wavered ; 
but  pressing  steadily  forward,  pouring  volley  after  volley 
into  the  enemy's  ranks,  it  at  last  forced  the  rebels  to 
break  and  fly  precipitately  to  the  crests,  and,  leaving  their 
splendid  position  on  the  summit,  to  retreat  in  great  haste 
down  the  other  slope  of  the  mountain.  The  engagement 
had  been  of  three  hours  duration ;  and  the  bravery  of 
the  Union  troops  was  rewarded  by  the  possession  of  the 
mountain  tops.  Darkness  put  an  end  to  the  pursuit. 


140         SURRENDER  OP  HARPER'S  FERRY. 

Thus  the  two  chief  passes  through  the  mountains  were  in 
the  possession  of  the  Union  army. 

While  his  corps  was  striving  to  dislodge  the  enemy  from 
the  stronghold,  the  gallant  Reno  was  struck  by  a  minie 
ball,  and  expired.  The  loss  of  this  hero  threw  a  gloom  not 
only  over  his  own  corps,  but  throughout  the  army. 

In  the  many  battles  in  which  he  had  taken  a  brilliant 
part,  he  had  won  an  enviable  fame,  and  his  private  virtues 
and  kindly  qualities  of  heart  added  lustre  to  the  brilliancy 
of  his  military  record. 

While  the  fight  was  in  progress  in  Crampton  Pass,  the 
booming  of  guns  at  Harper's  Ferry,  only  seven  miles 
distant,  told  us  of  an  attempt,  on  the  part  of  the  rebels, 
to  capture  that  important  point ;  and  while  we  lay  upon 
our  arms  on  the  morning  of  the  15th,  two  miles  nearer 
than  we  were  on  the  day  before,  the  firing  was  heard  to 
be  still  more  fierce.  Our  Sixth  corps  was  ordered  to  press 
forward  to  the  relief  of  the  beleaguered  place ;  but  before 
we  had  started  the  firing  suddenly  died  away.  General 
Franklin  concluded  that  the  place  had  been  surrendered ; 
and  his  conclusion  was  verified  by  reconnoissances.  So 
the  corps  remained  in  Pleasant  Valley,  at  rest,  all  of  the 
15th  and  16th. 

The  surrender  of  Harper's  Ferry  was  a  terrible  blow  to 
our  cause.  Had  it  continued  in  our  possession  it  must 
have  insured,  with  any  respectable  energy  on  the  part  of 
our  commanders,  the  destruction  of  the  rebel  army  in 
its  retreat.  As  it  was,  our  loss  was  over  eleven  thousand 
men,  and  a  vast  amount  of  war  material. 

Of  course,  the  surrender  of  Harper's  Ferry,  at  this 
critical  period,  was  owing  directly  to  the  imbecility  and 
cowardice,  not  to  say  treachery,  of  the  officers  in  com 
mand  at  Harper's  Ferry  and  on  Maryland  Heights.  But, 
while  we  condemn  the  weakness  and  cowardice  of  these 
commanders,  can  we  relieve  from  a  share  in  the  responsi- 


HASTENING  TO  THE   CONFLICT.  141 

bility,  the  general  who  marched  his  army  in  pursuit  of  the 
enemy  at  a  snail  pace,  traveling  but  six  miles  a  day  upon 
an  average,  when  by  a  few  brisk  marches  this  important 
point  might  have  been  reinforced  ? 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  17th,  the  Sixth  corps  was 
on  its  way,  hastening  to  the  scene  of  conflict  which  had 
commenced  on  the  banks  of  Antietam  creek.  A  part 
of  the  Seventy-seventh  had  constituted  one-third  of  the 
picket  line  which  had  extended  across  the  valley  between 
the  corps  and  Harper's  Ferry. 

These  companies,  by  a  hard  march,  much  of  it  at  double 
quick,  succeeded  in  overtaking  the  division  just  as  the 
Third  brigade  was  making  a  charge  over  ground  already 
thrice  won  and  lost  by  Sumner's  troops.  Without  waiting 
to  form  the  companies,  the  detachment  joined  the  com 
mand,  and,  all  out  of  breath  and  faint  from  their  forced 
march,  rushed  with  their  companies  against  the  foe. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  ANTIETAM. 

The  Valley  of  the  Antietam  —  Gathering  of  the  hosts  —  The  battle-field  —  The  battle 
commenced  — Splendid  fighting  of  Hooker's  forces  —  Successes  and  reverses  of 
Sumner's  troops  — Timely  arrival  of  the  Sixth  corps  — A  gallant  charge  — Losses 
of  the  corps  — Burnside's  attack  — Hours  of  suspense  — The  enemy  defeated  at  all 
points  — Retreat  of  the  rebels  — Scenes  on  the  battle-field— At  the  hospitals  — At 
Sharpsburgh— A  division  of  militia  — Couch's  division  joins  the  Sixth  corps  — 
Visit  of  the  President— Recruits  — Energy  at  the  north— At  rest— Want  of 
clothing— Stuart's  raid— Delays  — Clear  Spring— General  Brooks. 

AMONG  the  delightful  and  fertile  valleys  which  beautify 
the  State  of  Maryland,  none  is  more  charming  than  the 
one  through  which  the  Antietam  winds  its  tortuous  course. 
Looking  from  some  elevation  down  upon  its  green  fields, 
where  herds  of  sleek  cattle  graze,  its  yellow  harvests 
glowing  and  ripening  in  the  September  sun;  its  undulat 
ing  meadows  and  richly  laden  orchards;  its  comfortable 
farm  houses,  some  standing  out  boldly  upon  eminences, 
which  rise  here  and  there,  others  half  hidden  by  vines  or 
fruit  trees;  the  ranges  of  hills,  rising  on  either  side  of  the 
stream,  diversified  by  charming  vales  or  deep  gullies; 
the  turnpikes  winding  along  the  sides  of  the  hills  and 
through  the  valleys ;  the  lovely  stream  itself,  now  flowing 
smoothly  over  its  dark  bed  and  anon  tumbling  noisily  in 
rapids  over  a  stony  bottom,  winding  here  far  up  to  one 
range  of  hills  and  then  turning  back  to  kiss  the  base  of  the 
other;  the  whole  scene  is  one  of  surpassing  beauty,  upon 
which  the  eye  rests  with  untiring  delight.  Who  would 
have  selected  this  lovely  valley  as  the  scene  of  one  of  the 
most  bloody  struggles  ever  recorded?  Who,  looking 
down  from  some  height  of  land  on  the  morning  of  the  13th 


GATHERING   OF   THE   HOSTS.  143 

of  September,  would  have  dreamed  that  those  stacks  of 
grain,  which  dotted  the  fields  here  and  there,  would  soon 
become  the  only  protection  from  the  heat  of  the  sun  and 
the  storm  of  battle,  to  thousands  of  wounded,  bleeding 
men  ?  or,  that  from  those  lovely  groves  of  oak  and  maple, 
now  reposing  like  spots  of  beauty  upon  the  landscape, 
were  to  belch  forth  fire  and  smoke,  carrying  destruction  to 
thousands?  Yet,  here  on  these  smiling  fields,  and  among 
these  delightful  groves,  one  of  the  grand  battles  which 
should  decide  the  march  of  events  in  the  history,  not  only 
of  our  own  country  but  of  the  world,  was  to  be  fought. 
These  green  pastures  were  to  be  stained  with  blood,  and 
these  peaceful  groves  marred  and  torn  by  shot  and  shell. 

Driven  from  the  towns  along  the  Potomac,  from 
Frederick,  from  Hagerstown,  and  from  Boonsboro' ;  and 
forced  from  the  strong  passes  in  the  South*  Mountains,  the 
detached  portions  of  the  rebel  army  were  concentrated 
along  the  banks  of  the  Antietam  creek,  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  little  town  of  Sharpsburgh.  Hither  Jackson  and  Long- 
street,  Hill  and  Stuart,  with  their  hosts,  had  gathered  to 
offer  combined  resistance  to  the  Union  army ;  boastfully 
proclaiming  that  now,  upon  northern  soil,  they  would 
hurl  our  army  to  final  destruction.  One  hundred  thousand 
men,  flushed  with  recent  victories,  and  eager  for  one  grand 
crowning  success,  proudly  defied  the  Union  army. 

Their  position  was  well  chosen.  A  line  of  steep  hills, 
forming  a  half  circle,  with  the  convexity  in  front,  rising  at 
some  distance  back  from  the  creek,  and  nearly  parallel  with 
it,  afforded  admirable  advantages  for  posting  batteries,  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  sweep  the  plain  below,  from  right  to 
left.  Upon  their  left,  wooded  fields  afforded  protection 
to  their  infantry ;  while  upon  their  right,  the  undulating 
nature  of  the  grounds  near  the  base  of  the  hills,  covered 
them  from  the  fire  of  our  guns.  In  their  rear  was  Sharps- 
burgh  ;  and  two  fine  roads  leading  to  the  Potomac,  afforded 


144  THE    BATTLE-FIELD. 

safe  lines  of  retreat  in  case  of  disaster.  From  the  crest 
of  the  hills,  on  which  Lee  had  thus  posted  his  army,  the 
ground  sloped  gently  back ;  concealing  the  movements  of 
his  forces  from  the  view  of  the  army  in  their  front,  allowing 
them  to  maneuver  unobserved  by  their  opponents.  Owing 
also  to  the  form  of  their  line  of  battle,  it  was  an  easy  matter 
to  throw  troops  from  one  part  to  another.  Thus,  strongly 
posted  and  confidently  anticipating  victory,  they  waited 
the  approach  of  the  Union  army. 

Our  own  forces  were  also  gathering  toward  this  point. 
Richardson's  division  of  the  Second  corps,  pressing  closely 
upon  the  heels  of  the  retreating  rebels,  had  passed 
through  Boonsboro'  and  Keedeysville,  and  had  overtaken 
them  here. 

Porter,  with  his  regulars,  was  close  at  hand,  and  took 
position.  Then  came  Burnside,  with  his  favorite  Ninth 
corps ;  and  the  white-haired  veteran,  Sumner,  with  troops 
worthy  of  their  leader;  fighting  Joe  Hooker  and  his 
gallant  men;  and  Mansfield,  with  Banks'  corps.  The 
afternoon  and  most  of  the  night  was  spent  in  getting  into 
position.  Brisk  skirmishes  were  occurring  with  sufficient 
frequency  to  excite  the  men  on  both  sides ;  but  no  gen 
eral  engagement  took  place.  The  morning  of  the  16th 
found  our  army  ready  to  give  battle.  On  our  right  was 
Hooker;  then  Sumner  with  his  own  and  the  twelfth, 
Mansfield's  corps;  and  far  to  the  left  was  Burnside. 
Porter's  corps,  secure  behind  an  elevation  in  the  rear,  was 
held  in  reserve. 

The  night  had  passed  with  but  now  and  then  a  little 
picket  firing ;  but  all  felt  that,  before  many  hours,  must 
commence  a  battle,  which  must  determine  the  fate  at  least 
of  that  campaign. 

Crossing  the  Antietam,  in  front  of  the  line  of  our  army, 
were  three  bridges.  The  first,  on  the  Hagerstown  road ; 
the  next  on  the  road  to  Sharpsburgh ;  and  the  third  on 


THE    ORDER    OP    BATTLE.  145 

the  left,  three  miles  below,  on  the  road  from  Harper's 
Ferry  to  Sharpsburgh. 

This  last  bridge,  crossed  the  stream  at  a  point  where 
steep  and  high  hills  crowded  closely  on  every  side ;  the 
summits  of  those  on  the  western  side  of  the  stream, 
crowned  with  rebel  batteries,  and  their  steeply  falling 
sides  covered  with  infantry.  Over  the  first  of  these 
bridges,  on  the  right,  Hooker  was  to  cross  his  forces ; 
while  on  the  left,  Burnside  was  to  attempt  to  dislodge  the 
enemy  from  his  commanding  position.  Far  in  the  rear,  a 
prominent  hill  rose  above  the  surrounding  country ;  here 
was  a  signal  station,  and  here  the  commander  of  the  army 
established  his  quarters.  Hour  after  hour  of  the  16th 
passed  away,  the  two  armies  facing  each  other,  watching 
and  waiting ;  troops  moving  this  way  and  that,  maneuver 
ing  like  two  giant  wrestlers,  each  willing  to  try  the  move 
ments  and  feel  the  gripe  of  the  other  before  coming  to  the 
sharp  grapple.  At  four  o'clock,  Hooker  crossed  his  corps 
and  occupied  a  position  on  the  west  side  of  the  creek,  and 
Mansfield  soon  followed ;  a  little  fighting,  but  not  severe, 
and  then  darkness  closed  over  the  scene  again.  The  skir 
mishes  and  artillery  practice  here,  developed,  to  the  quick 
eye  of  General  Hooker,  the  position  of  the  enemy  in  his 
front,  and  their  plan  of  defense.  Satisfied  with  this  know 
ledge,  he  was  willing  to  allow  his  corps  to  rest  until 
morning.  Our  lines  were  now  very  near  those  of  the 
rebels ;  so  near  that  the  pickets  of  the  opposing  forces 
could  hear  conversation  from  one  line  to  the  other. 

At  an  early  hour  on  the  morning  of  the  17th,  the  great 
battle  commenced  in  earnest.  Hooker  formed  his  line 
with  Doubleday  on  the  right,  Meade  in  the  center,  and 
Ricketts  on  the  left.  Opposed  to  him  was  Stonewall 
Jackson's  corps.  First,  Meade's  Pennsylvania  reserves, 
of  Hooker's  corps,  opened  upon  the  enemy,  and  in  a 
few  moments  the  firing  became  rapid  and  general  along 
19 


146  HOOKER'S  DIVISIONS  AT  WORK. 

the  line  of  both  Meade's  and  Rickett's  divisions.  The 
rebel  line  of  battle  was  just  beyond  the  woods,  in  a  corn 
field.  The  hostile  lines  poured  into  each  other  more 
and  more  deadly  volleys;  batteries  were  brought  up  on 
each  side  which  did  terrible  execution.  Each  line  stood 
firm  and  immovable.  Although  great  gaps  were  made  in 
them,  they  were  closed  up,  and  the  opposing  forces  con 
tinued  to  pour  fearful  destruction  into  each  other's  ranks. 
General  Hooker,  riding  everywhere  along  the  front  line, 
knew  exactly  the  position  and  the  work  of  every  regiment 
in  his  command.  Cheer  after  cheer  greeted  him  as  he 
passed  along  the  line,  inspiring  the  men  by  his  presence. 
Thus  for  half  an  hour  the  two  lines  stood  face  to  face  in 
deadly  conflict ;  at  length  the  general  directed  a  battery 
to  be  placed  in  a  commanding  position,  and  the  shells  and 
shrapnell  were  seen  to  work  fearful  havoc  in  the  rebel  ranks. 
The  gray  line  wavered ;  then  back  through  the  cornfield 
and  over  the  fences  the  confederates  rushed,  seeking  shelter 
from  the  terrible  storm,  under  cover  of  the  woods,  on 
the  other  side  of  the  field.  "Forward!"  shouted  General 
Hooker,  and  his  divisions  pressed  rapidly  through  the 
cornfield,  up  to  the  very  edge  of  the  wood,  while  the 
welkin  rang  with  their  cheers.  Here,  the  fleeing  foe, 
reinforced  by  fresh  troops,  made  a  determined  stand. 
Terrific  volleys  poured  from  the  woods,  thinning  out  the 
Union  ranks  at  a  fearful  rate.  Unable  to  sustain  the 
deadly  fire,  they  fell  back  —  this  time  the  rebels  follow 
ing  with  yells  and  shouts ;  but  before  the  cornfield  was 
crossed,  our  troops  made  another  stand,  and  the  swarthy 
foe  was  brought  to  bay;  yet  the  thinned  line  seemed 
hardly  able  to  sustain  the  fearful  shock  much  longer. 
Hooker,  fearing  that  his  center  was  doomed  to  destruc 
tion,  sent  to  his  right  for  a  brigade,  although  his  right 
was  hard  pressed  and  in  danger  of  being  flanked. 

The  fresh  brigade  pressed  steadily  to  the  front,  and  the 


SUCCESSES   AND   REVERSES    FOR   STJMNER.  147 

rebel  line  again  fell  back  to  the  woods.  Mansfield's  corps 
now  came  to  the  support  of  the  right  wing,  and  well  did 
those  troops,  so  lately  demoralized  at  Bull  Run,  stand  their 
ground.  General  Mansfield  received  here  his  mortal  wound. 

It  was  at  this  time,  when  Hooker  saw  his  forces  gaining 
a  decided  advantage  and  felt  that  their  part  of  the  work 
was  well  done,  that  a  rifle  ball  passed  through  his  foot 
inflicting  a  painful  wound.  Lamenting  that  he  could  not 
remain  to  see  the  end  of  what  he  hoped  would  prove  a 
great  victory,  he  left  the  field.  The  battle  lulled  at  this 
point;  but  in  the  center  it  raged  with  terrible  energy. 
There,  Sumner  the  white-haired  veteran,  led  his  corps  into 
the  very  jaws  of  death.  If  he  seemed  reckless  of  the 
lives  of  his  men,  he  had  no  more  care  of  his  own.  Across 
the  ploughed  ground,  over  ditches  and  fences,  with  unsur 
passed  ardor,  sweeping  over  all  obstacles,  the  corps  pushed 
forward,  driving  the  enemy  before  it ;  but  the  right  be 
came  hard  pressed,  and  a  terrible  fire  on  that  part  of  the 
line  and  on  the  center,  forced  the  corps  back.  Again 
the  ground  was  taken ;  and  again  the  enemy,  with  wild 
yells  of  triumph,  drove  our  men  back.  Still  determined 
to  win,  the  veteran  hero  ordered  a  third  charge ;  and  the 
third  time  the  field  was  ours,  but  only  to  be  lost  again. 
The  brave  General  Sedgwick,  who  then  led  one  division 
of  Sumner's  corps,  whom  we  were  afterward  proud  to  call 
the  commander  of  the  Sixth  corps,  thrice  wounded,  was 
at  length  obliged  to  leave  the  field.  Richardson  and 
Crawford  were  carried  wounded  to  the  hospitals. 

It  was  at  this  critical  moment,  when  Sumner's  troops, 
weary  and  almost  out  of  ammunition,  were  for  the  third 
time  repulsed;  the  remnants  of  the  shattered  regiments  no 
longer  able  to  resist  the  overwhelming  forces  opposed  to 
them ;  the  artillery  alone,  unsupported,  holding  the  enemy 
for  a  moment  in  check ;  that  the  Sixth  corps,  our  second 
division  in  advance,  arrived  upon  the  field. 


148  TIMELY    ARRIVAL   OF   THE    SIXTH   CORPS. 

The  scene  before  us  was  awful.  On  the  left,  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  reach,  the  lines  of  the  contending  forces, 
stretching  over  hills  and  through  valleys,  stood  face  to  face; 
in  places,  not  more  than  thirty  yards  apart.  The  roar  of 
musketry  rolled  along  the  whole  extent  of  the  "battle-field. 
The  field  upon  which  we  had  now  entered,  thrice  hotly 
contested,  was  strewed  with  the  bodies  of  friend  and  foe. 

Without  waiting  to  take  breath,  each  regiment  as  soon 
as  it  arrives  on  the  field,  is  ordered  to  charge  independ 
ently  of  the  others.  The  third  brigade  is  first ;  and  first 
of  its  regiments,  the  Twentieth  New  York,  with  their  sabre 
bayonets,  are  ready;  and  the  shout,  "Forward,  double 
quick !"  rings  along  the  line.  The  Germans  waver  for  a 
moment ;  but  presently  with  a  yell  they  rush  down  the 
hill,  suddenly  receiving  a  volley  from  a  rebel  line  concealed 
behind  a  fence;  but  the  Germans,  regardless  of  the  storm 
of  bullets,  rush  forward  ;  the  rebels  breaking  and  flying  to 
the  rear  in  confusion,  while  the  Germans  hotly  pursue  them. 
Next,  on  the  left  of  the  Twentieth,  the  gallant  Seventh 
Maine  charges;  rushing  forward  into  the  midst  of  the 
cornfield,  they,  too,  are  met  by  concealed  foes.  Although 
they  are  concealed  from  our  view,  the  crashing  of  mus 
ketry  tells  us  of  the  struggle  which  they  maintain. 

The  gallant  regiment  makes  its  way  down  the  slope, 
almost  to  the  earthworks  of  the  enemy,  when  the  men 
throw  themselves  upon  the  ground  behind  a  rail  fence. 
Here,  subjected  to  the  shells  from  the  Union  and  rebel 
batteries,  the  regiment  can  neither  advance  or  retreat ; 
but  our  batteries,  finding  that  their  shots  are  as  fatal  to 
our  men  as  to  the  rebels,  allow  the  remaining  fragments 
of  the  regiment  to  retire  from  the  perilous  position. 

On  the  right  of  the  Seventh  Maine  comes  the  glorious 
Forty-ninth  and  our  own  Seventy-seventh,  Captain  Bab- 
cock  in  command.  On  the  right  of  all  is  the  old  Thirty- 
third,  within  supporting  distance.  The  men  of  the 


A    GALLANT    CHARGE.  149 

Seventy-seventh  rush  forward  over  their  fallen  comrades, 
making  toward  a  small  school  house  which  stands  upon 
the  Sharpsburgh  and  Hagerstown  turnpike,  behind  which 
is  a  grove  swarming  with  rebel  troops.  Our  boys  are 
almost  on  the  road,  when,  at  a  distance  of  less  than 
thirty  yards,  they  find  themselves  confronted  by  over 
whelming  numbers,  who  pour  a  withering  fire  into  their 
ranks.  The  Seventy-seventh  receives  the  fire  nobly,  and, 
although  far  ahead  of  all  the  other  regiments,  stands  its 
ground  and  returns  the  fire  with  spirit,  although  it  is 
but  death  to  remain  thus  in  the  advance.  The  brave 
color-bearer,  Joseph  Murer,  falls,  shot  through  the  head; 
but  the  colors  scarcely  touch  the  ground  when  they 
are  seized  and  again  flaunted  in  the  face  of  the  enemy. 
Volley  after  volley  crashes  through  our  ranks ;  our  com 
rades  fall  on  every  side ;  yet  the  little  band  stands  firm 
as  a  rock,  refusing  to  yield  an  inch.  At  this  juncture, 
General  Smith,  riding  along  the  line  and  discovering 
the  advanced  and  unprotected  position  of  the  regiment, 
exclaims,  "There's  a  regiment  gone,"  and  sends  an  aid 
to  order  it  to  retire.  The  order  was  timely,  for  the 
rebels  were  planting  a  battery  within  twenty  yards  of 
the  left  of  the  regiment,  which  would,  in  a  moment 
longer,  have  swept  it  to  destruction. 

The  regiment  reformed  behind  the  crest,  in  line  with 
the  other  regiments  of  the  brigade,  all  of  which  had  been 
forced  to  fall  back ;  but  the  line  held  was  far  in  advance 
of  that  held  by  Sumner's  troops  when  the  division 
arrived.  Thirty-three  of  the  little  band  had  fallen ;  they 
were -less  than  two  hundred  men  when  they  came  upon 
the  field.  In  the  Seventh  Maine  the  loss  was  still  greater ; 
of  the  one  hundred  and  seventy  men  who  went  into  the 
fight,  one-half  were  killed  or  wounded ;  more  than  eighty 
of  those  noble  forms  were  prostrated  like  the  slashings  in 
their  own  forests.  The  Thirty-third  lost  fifty  in  killed 


150  LOSSES    OF   THE    COEPS. 

and  wounded.  The  total  loss  to  our  Third  brigade  was 
three  hundred  and  forty-three;  of  the  Second  division,  three 
hundred  and  seventy-three ;  of  the  corps,  four  hundred  and 
thirty-eight. 

Our  men  lay  down  behind  the  ridge  to  protect  them 
selves  from  the  rebel  batteries ;  yet  even  here  the  shells 
came,  carrying  death  to  many  of  our  number.  The  Ver 
mont  brigade  was  sent  to  the  assistance  of  French's 
division,  who,  having  expended  their  ammunition,  were 
making  feeble  resistance  to  the  enemy.  The  Vermonters 
behaved  with  their  usual  gallantry,  resisting  the  advance  of 
the  enemy;  and  although  frequently  subjected  to  the  fire 
of  artillery,  they  held  their  ground  bravely.  The  brigade 
was  composed  of  men  who  could  always  be  depended  on 
to  do  what  they  were  ordered  to  do. 

The  advent  of  the  Sixth  corps  upon  the  field  had  decided 
the  contest  upon  the  right  of  the  line,  and  after  the  first 
charge  by  the  Third  brigade  the  battle  lulled.  Of  all  the 
brilliant  charges  made  in  the  army  on  that  memorable  day, 
none  was  more  gallant  or  more  important  in  its  results 
than  this  noble  charge  of  the  Third  brigade  of  Smith's 
division.  Although  the  infantry  on  both  sides  became 
comparatively  quiet,  artillery  thundered  from  every  emi 
nence  in  possession  of  our  own  or  the  enemy's  batteries. 
Shells  and  cannister  tore  through  the  Union  ranks,  making 
in  parts  of  the  line  fearful  havoc.  Thus,  for  nine  long 
hours,  our  Sixth  corps  endured  this  fiery  ordeal,  when 
darkness  closed  over  the  field  of  strife. 

Meanwhile,  on  the  left,  Burnside  became  hotly  engaged. 
At  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  his  troops  moved  down 
toward  the  stone  bridge,  over  which  they  hoped  to  cross. 
The  hills  on  either  side  slope  down  almost  to  the  water's 
edge ;  the  road  leading  to  the  bridge  winding  through  a 
ravine,  and  then  on  the  other  side  ascending  through 
another  ravine  to  the  highlands.  No  sooner  had  the  head 


BURNSIDE'S  ATTACK.  151 

of  the  column  descended  into  this  amphitheater  of  hills, 
than  the  rebels  opened  a  destructive  fire  from  behind 
defenses  which  they  had  thrown  up  along  the  hillsides. 
Rifle  pits,  and  breastworks  of  rails  and  stones,  concealed 
thousands  of  infantry,  who,  from  their  secure  position, 
poured  volley  after  volley  into  the  advancing  column ; 
while  batteries,  placed  upon  the  heights,  brought  an  enfi 
lading  fire  upon  the  bridge  and  its  approaches.  In  the  face 
of  this  reception,  the  Ninth  corps  formed  in  line  of  battle. 
One  brigade  with  fixed  bayonets  charged  upon  the  bridge; 
but  the  concentrated  fire  of  the  enemy  forced  it  back. 
Charge  after  charge  was  ordered  and  executed  by  different 
portions  of  the  command  with  like  success.  At  length  a 
battery  was  brought  to  bear  directly  upon  the  enemy's 
position  at  the  farthest  end  of  the  bridge,  and,  aided  by 
these  guns,  fresh  troops  charged  with  great  enthusiasm, 
carrying  the  bridge  and  planting  their  colors  on  the  oppo 
site  side  of  the  stream.  Sturgis'  division  immediately 
advanced  up  the  slope,  driving  the  enemy  before  it. 
Meanwhile  Rodman's  division  had  succeeded,  after  a  desper 
ate  fight,  in  crossing  the  stream  below,  and  had  also  gained 
a  position  along  the  crest  of  the  hills.  The  enemy  having 
the  range  perfectly,  made  the  position  along  the  crest  of 
the  hills  untenable,  and  the  men  were  forced  to  fall  back 
a  little ;  lying  close  upon  the  ground  to  avoid  the  shells 
that  burst  about  them. 

At  length,  at  three  o'clock,  General  Burnside  ordered  a 
general  advance.  The  divisions  moved  in  fine  order,  but 
w^ere  soon  met  by  the  enemy  in  overpowering  numbers. 
The  whole  line  became  hotly  engaged.  All  the  reserves 
were  brought  into  action,  and  still  the  rebels  poured  upon 
the  Union  men  in  increasing  numbers  ;  pressing  their  flank 
and  turning  the  attack  into  a  doubtful  defense.  It  seemed 
impossible  for  the  corps  to  hold  its  position  against  the 
overwhelming  force  opposed  to  it.  At  this  juncture  Gen- 


152  THE   ENEMY   REPULSED. 

eral  Burnside  sent  to  General  McClellan  for  aid.  Porter's 
troops  were  still  in  reserve ;  but  McClellan  refused  to 
relieve  the  hardly  pressed  corps.  Again  Burnside  sends 
word,  "  I  cannot  hold  my  position  half  an  hour  longer, 
unless  I  am  reinforced ;"  and  again  the  appeal  is  met  with 
refusal.  Contrary  to  his  own  expectations,  Burnside's 
forces  held  their  ground  until  darkness  put  an  end  to  the 
strife. 

Thus  our  own  Sixth  corps,  and  Burnside's  corps,  held 
the  ground  they  had  each  by  most  desperate  fighting 
wrested  from  the  hands  of  the  enemy ;  and  in  spite  of  the 
peril  which  had  threatened  the  right,  when  Hooker's  braves 
were  forced  back,  the  center,  where  Sumners  brave  men 
fell  back  for  the  third  time  with  empty  cartridge  boxes, 
and  the  left,  where  Burnside  was  so  hardly  pressed,  the 
advantage  remained  with  our  army ;  and  the  weary  sol 
diers  lay  down  in  the  expectation  of  renewing  the  battle 
in  the  morning. 

Their  valor  had  saved  them  from  defeat ;  they  hoped  to 
make  the  battle  that  should  come,  a  complete  victory. 

But  the  battle  was  ended.  Toward  morning,  it  was 
known  to  officers  of  our  corps  that  the  rebels  were  moving 
back,  and  the  fact  was  reported ;  but  no  attention  was  paid 
to  it.  A  truce,  under  pretense  of  burying  the  dead,  gave 
the  rebels  a  quiet  day,  in  which  to  prepare  for  their  escape, 
by  sending  their  trains  and  much  of  their  artillery  to  the 
rear;  and  on  the  night  of  the  18th,  the  whole  rebel  army 
disappeared.  So  this  memorable  and  sanguinary  battle 
ended.  A  defeat  for  the  rebels,  but  not  the  decided  vic 
tory  to  our  arms  that  could  have  been  hoped  for. 

The  Second  division  of  the  Sixth  corps  was  relieved  soon 
after  noon  of  the  18th  by  Couch's  division,  which  was  soon 
afterward  joined  to  the  Sixth  corps.  Until  now  our  corps 
had  consisted  of  but  two  divisions,  the  First  and  Second. 
Our  men  were  glad  to  fall  back  enough  to  allow  them  to 


SCENES    ON   THE    BATTLE-FIELD.  153 

cook  their  coffee  once  more,  and  they  proceeded  to  the 
work  of  preparing  a  good  meal  with  great  spirit. 

The  scene  on  the  battle-field  was  past  description.  The 
mangled  forms  of  our  own  comrades  lay  stretched  upon 
the  ground,  side  by  side  with  those  of  the  rebels.  On 
almost  every  rod  of  ground  over  one  hundred  acres,  the 
dead  and  wounded,  some  clad  in  the  Union  blue  and  some 
in  confederate  gray,  were  lying.  A  ghastly  sight,  present 
ing  all  the  horrible  features  of  death  which  are  to  be  seen 
on  such  a  field.  At  one  point  in  our  own  front,  for  more 
than  half  a  mile,  the  rebels  lay  so  thickly  as  almost  to 
touch  each  other.  On  the  field  where  Hooker's  men  had 
won  and  lost  the  field,  the  dead  and  dying  were  scattered 
thickly  among  the  broken  cornstalks,  their  eyes  protrud 
ing  and  their  faces  blackened  by  the  sun.  Wherever  the 
lines  of  battle  had  surged  too  and  fro,  these  vestiges  of 
the  terrible  work  were  left.  In  the  edge  of  the  wood, 
where  the  rebels  had  made  a  stand  against  Hooker's 
advancing  divisions,  the  bodies  lay  in  perfect  line,  as 
though  they  had  fallen  while  on  dress  parade.  Further  to 
the  left  there  was  a  narrow  road,  not  more  than  fifteen 
feet  wide,  with  high  fences  on  either  side.  Here  a  regi 
ment  of  rebels  was  posted ;  when  our  batteries  getting  an 
enfilading  fire  upon  them,  and  the  infantry  at  the  same 
time  opening  a  murderous  fire,  the  regiment  was  literally 
destroyed ;  not  more  than  twenty  of  their  number  escap 
ing.  Their  bodies  filled  the  narrow  road.  Some  were 
shot  while  attempting  to  get  over  the  fence ;  and  their 
remains  hung  upon  the  boards.  A  more  fearful  picture 
than  we  saw  here,  could  not  be  conceived. 

Broken  caissons,  wheels,  dismounted  guns,  thousands  of 
muskets,  blankets,  haversacks  and  canteens,  were  scattered 
thickly  over  the  field  ;  and  hundreds  of  slain  horses,  bloated 
and  with  feet  turned  toward  the  sky,  added  to  the  horror 
of  the  scene. 

20 


154  AT  THE    HOSPITALS. 

While  the  excitement  of  battle  lasts,  and  we  hear  the 
roar  of  artillery,  and  the  shock  of  contending  armies, 
the  terrible  reality  of  the  occasion  hardly  presents  itself 
to  our  minds,  and  it  is  only  when  we  survey  the  bloody 
field,  strewed  with  the  mangled,  lifeless  remains  of  friend 
and  foe,  or  walk  through  the  hospitals,  where  the  unfortu 
nate  victims  of  battle  writhe  in  the  agony  of  their  wounds, 
that  we  realize  the  terrible  nature  of  a  great  battle. 

Sickening  as  is  the  sight  of  the  battle-field,  the  scenes 
about  the  hospitals  are  worse,  except  to  those  who  are 
actually  engaged  in  ministering  to  the  relief  of  the 
wounded.  To  these  the  excitement  and  labor  incident  to 
their  duties,  crowd  out  the  thoughts  of  the  ghastly  sur 
roundings.  They  see  only  so  many  demands  upon  them 
for  assistance,  and  have  no  time  to  indulge  in  sentimental 
emotions. 

Here  in  the  rear  of  the  army  for  miles,  was  a  succession 
of  hospitals.  Every  house,  and  barn,  and  haystack,  formed 
the  nucleus  of  a  hospital,  where  men,  shot  through  the 
head,  through  the  limbs,  through  the  body ;  with  every 
conceivable  variety  of  wounds,  lay  groaning  in  anguish. 
Surgeons  toiled  day  and  night  with  never  lagging  zeal  to 
relieve  these  sufferings,  but  all  their  labor  could  only 
afford  slight  relief.  The  labors  of  medical  officers  after  a 
great  battle  are  immense,  and  there  is  no  respite  from 
their  toils  so  long  as  a  wounded  man  remains  uncared 
for.  While  others  find  repose  from  the  fatigues  of 
battle  in  sleep,  the  surgeons  are  still  at  work ;  there  is  no 
sleep  for  them  so  long  as  work  remains  to  be  done. 

The  rebel  army  had  fallen  back  ;  yet  a  skirmish  line  had 
been  left  to  cover  the  movement.  At  length  even  this 
suddenly  disappeared,  and,  firing  a  few  solid  shots,  as  a 
parting  salute,  the  enemy  took  a  final  leave  of  the  field. 
Our  forces  were  ordered  on.  We  passed  over  the  scene  of 
carnage,  where  hundreds  of  dead  lay  still  unburied ;  and 


AT   SHARPSBURGH.  155 

pioneers  were  on  every  part  of  the  field  throwing  the 
mangled,  disfigured  forms  into  shallow  graves.  Along 
the  roadsides,  under  the  fences,  and  where  the  confederate 
hospitals  had  been,  still  these  gory  objects  met  our  view. 
We  reached  Sharpsburgh,  and  here  the  evidences  of  the 
terrible  conflict  were  to  be  seen  everywhere.  Houses  rid 
dled  by  shells  and  bullets ;  some  of  them  destroyed  by  fire, 
and  some  battered  into  shapeless  masses  ;  the  streets  filled 
with  disabled  wagons;  horses  galloping  about  without 
riders ;  knapsacks,  guns  and  equipments  cast  away  in  the 
hasty  flight;  churches  filled  with  rebel  wounded;  all 
helped  to  make  up  a  scene  of  destruction  such  as  has 
been  rarely  witnessed.  The  people  of  the  village  wel 
comed  us  as  their  deliverers,  and  brought  water,  and  such 
other  refreshments  as  they  had  been  able  to  conceal  from 
the  rebels.  We  passed  the  village  and  bivouacked  for  the 
night. 

On  the  20th,  we,  of  the  Sixth  corps,  retraced  our  steps, 
passing  again  over  the  battle-field,  where  the  stench  was 
now  unendurable.  We  reached  Williamsport  at  daylight, 
where  Couch's  division  was  face  to  face  with  the  enemy, 
who  were  said  to  be  recrossing  the  river,  and  who  had 
last  night  forced  back  part  of  the  division. 

The  rebel  force  had,  however,  consisted  of  about  four 
thousand  cavalry,  who,  finding  the  Unionists  in  force, 
quickly  returned  to  the  south  side  of  the  Potomac.  Here 
we  found  an  immense  division  of  Pennsylvania  militia 
drawn  up  in  line  of  battle.  Its  regiments  were  larger 
than  our  brigades.  They  were  armed  with  every  variety 
of  fire-arms,  from  light  sporting  shot-guns  to  Sharpe's 
rifles.  Their  uniforms  had  quite  as  little  uniformity  as 
their  arms.  Some  were  dressed  in  gray  pants  and  jackets, 
others  in  light  blue ;  and  still  others  in  the  various  fash 
ions  which  constituted  the  wearing  apparel  at  home. 
Grave  gentleman  in  spectacles,  studious  young  men  in 


156  THE  PRESIDENT'S  VISIT. 

green  glasses,  pale  young  men  who  were  evidently  more 
at  home  behind  the  counter  than  in  line  of  battle,  roughs 
who  had  not  been  tamed  by  the  discipline  of  military 
life,  and  boys  who,  for  the  first  time,  had  left  the  paternal 
mansion,  made  up  the  heterogeneous  division. 

Remaining  at  Williamsport  until  the  morning  of  the 
23d,  we  marched  on  the  Hagerstown  turnpike  to  Bakers- 
ville,  where  we  remained  about  three  weeks.  Here  it  was 
that  Couch's  division  was  joined  to  the  Sixth  corps.*  On 
the  3d  of  October  the  corps  was  ordered  out  for  review 
by  President  Lincoln.  The  line  was  formed  on  a  fine 
plain,  and  the  booming  of  cannon  announced  the  approach 
of  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  armies  of  the  United 
States.  The  illustrious  visitor  was  accompanied  by  Gen 
erals  McClellan,  Franklin,  Smith  and  other  notable  men, 
with  an  immense  retinue.  Conscious  of  the  fatigues 
already  endured  by  these  veterans,  the  President  simply 
passed  along  the  line  of  the  divisions,  acknowledging 
the  salutations  which  greeted  him,  without  requiring  the 
columns  to  march  in  review.  The  soldiers  manifested 
their  appreciation  of  the  interest  taken  by  the  Chief 
Magistrate  in  their  welfare,  by  loud  and  repeated  cheers. 
Sumner's,  Burnside's  and  Porter's  corps  had  already  been 
reviewed  by  the  President. 

While  at  this  camp,  large  accessions  were  made  to  our 
thinned  ranks.  Before  the  army  left  Harrison's  Landing, 
efforts  had  been  set  on  foot  for  filling  up  the  skeleton  regi 
ments  of  our  army.  Recruiting  officers  had  been  detailed 
from  every  regiment,  to  go  to  the  localities  from  which 
their  respective  regiments  had  been  raised,  and  bring  in 
recruits,  to  fill  the  places  made  vacant  by  death  and 
disease.  The  critical  condition  of  affairs  when  the  army 

*  The  regiments  of  this  division  were,  the  36th,  5Rth,  62d,  B5th,  67th  and  122d  New 
;  the  23d,  82d,  93d,  98th  and  102d  Pennsylvania;  the  7th,  10th  and  37th  Massa 
chusetts,  and  the  2d  Rhode  Island. 


THE    ARMY    EECEUITED.  157 

was  withdrawn  from  the  Peninsula,  and,  afterward,  when 
Pope  was  so  disastrously  forced  back  upon  the  defenses 
of  Washington,  had  roused  to  most  earnest  action,  many 
patriots,  who  hoped  to  avert  further  disaster  by  forward 
ing  men  to  the  field.  Under  these  influences,  and  as  the 
result  of  these  patriotic  efforts,  many  recruits  oifered 
themselves ;  but  after  the  battle  of  Antietam,  new  life  was 
added  to  the  recruiting  service.  Many  who  then  supposed 
that  the  war  was  nearly  ended,  gladly  accepted  the  large 
bounties,  and  in  the  hope  of  soon  being  "in  at  the  death" 
of  the  rebellion,  enrolled  themselves  among  the  soldiers  of 
the  Union.  War  meetings  were  held  in  every  town,  and 
the  utmost  enthusiasm  was  created.  In  Saratoga,  a  large 
concourse  of  people,  among  whom  were  many  of  the  visit 
ors  at  the  Springs,  gathered  for  a  war  meeting.  Stirring 
speeches  were  made.  Ladies  offered  their  diamond  rings, 
their  watch  chains,  their  watches  and  other  valuables  to 
those  who  should  come  forward  and  enter  the  service. 
Under  the  influence  of  such  enthusiasm,  many  came  for 
ward  and  enrolled  their  names,  and  received  the  jewels 
from  the  fair  hands  of  the  patriotic  donors.  By  such 
efforts  as  these,  all  over  the  country,  from  two  to  three 
hundred  recruits  were  raised  for  each  regiment  in  our 
corps,  and  large  accessions  were  made  to  the  ranks  of  the 
whole  army. 

The  advent  of  the  new  comers  was  hailed  with  joy  by 
the  veterans,  who  had  become  sadly  discouraged  by  their 
small  and  constantly  decreasing  numbers. 

Our  men  were  enjoying  the  welcome  rest  and  the  abund 
ant  supply  of  food  obtained  in  this  delightful  country, 
and  many  varieties  of  diet,  well  remembered  as  familiar  in 
former  years,  but  unknown  to  them  since  their  campaigns 
commenced,  adorned  their  humble  mess  tables.  Among 
other  luxuries,  "  hasty  pudding  "  and  johnny  cake  became 
common  articles  of  diet.  The  process  of  producing  these 


158  WANT  OF   CLOTHING. 

articles,  was  after  the  rude  manner  of  men  who  must  invent 
the  working  materials  as  they  are  needed.  One-half  of 
an  unserviceable  canteen,  or  a  tin  plate  perforated  by 
means  of  a  nail  or  the  sharp  point  of  a  bayonet,  served 
the  purpose  of  a  grater  or  mill  for  grinding  the  corn.  The 
neighboring  cornfields,  although  guarded,  yielded  abund 
ance  of  rich  yellow  ears ;  which,  without  passing  through 
the  process  of  "  shelling,"  were  rubbed  across  the  grater, 
yielding  a  finer  meal  than  is  usually  ground  at  the  grist 
mills.  The  meal  being  obtained,  it  was  mixed  with  a 
large  or  small  quantity  of  water,  as  mush  or  cake  was 
desired,  and  cooked. 

The  men  complained  of  want  of  proper  and  sufficient 
clothing,  and  many  of  them  were  absolutely  barefooted. 
On  whom  the  blame  for  the  long  delay  in  furnishing  these 
necessary  articles  should  rest,  we  can  only  refer  to  the  con 
troversy  between  the  Major-General  commanding  the 
armies  of  the  United  States  and  the  Major-General  com 
manding  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

Soon  after  midnight,  October  llth,  the  corps  was 
ordered  to  move  to  Hagerstown.  In  the  midst  of  a 
heavy  shower  the  march  was  made,  and  Hagerstown 
was  reached  soon  after  daylight.  Here  a  new  cause  of 
excitement  occurred.  Stuart,  with  his  cavalry,  was  in 
our  rear;  Chambersburgh  was  burned,  and  other  towns 
sacked.  The  Vermont  brigade  was  hastily  loaded  into 
cars  and  sent  to  Chambersburgh  in  pursuit  of  the  cavalry, 
which  was  already  far  on  its  way  to  the  Potomac.  Of 
course  they  could  only  return,  having  had  an  excursion 
through  the  country  at  government  expense.  The  Third 
brigade  of  Smith's  division  marched  hastily  to  the  Mary 
land  and  Pennsylvania  line,  to  where  a  stone  bridge 
crossed  the  Antietam;  a  battery  of  artillery  was  also 
here,  and  the  brigades  and  battery  prepared  to  defend  the 
crossing.  But  no  enemy  appeared,  and  the  two  brigades 


ALONG    THE    POTOMAC.  159 

returned  to  Hagerstown ;  the  Yerraonters  to  occupy  the 
town  as  provost  guard,  the  other  to  encamp  in  a  delight 
ful  grove  a  mile  beyond. 

Thus  ended  the  famous  campaign  of  Antietam ;  which 
had  humbled  the  pride  of  the  boastful  confederates,  and 
had  turned  back  their  hordes  to  their  mountain  fastnesses 
in  Virginia  for  safety.  A  campaign  which,  while  con 
ducted  with  great  hesitancy  and  a  total  want  of  that 
celerity  of  movement  usually  considered  absolutely  neces 
sary  to  brilliant  success  in  military  operations,  yet  had 
preserved  the  north  from  imminent  and  immediate  danger 
which  threatened  it.  Our  losses  in 'killed,  wounded  and 
missing,  in  this  campaign,  amounted  to  fifteen  thousand 
two  hundred  and  twenty. 

The  army  was  posted,  two  corps,  the  Second  and 
Twelfth,  at  Harper's  Ferry;  the  remaining  corps  along 
the  Potomac,  above  and  below  that  point,  for  twenty 
miles.  Here,  six  weeks  were  spent  in  getting  ready  for 
another  campaign  ;  the  President,  meanwhile,  constantly 
ordering  an  advance  across  the  river ;  General  McClellan, 
constantly  offering  excuses  for  delay.  It  is  not  our  pur 
pose  to  discuss  the  merits  of  these  excuses,  but  it  may  not 
be  out  of  place  to  mention,  that  although  the  Sixth  corps 
was  represented  as  being  in  worse  condition,  in  regard  to 
clothing  and  shoes,  than  any  other  corps,  that  corps  finally 
crossed  the  river  before  it  received  its  clothing,  showing 
that  even  the  corps  least  supplied  with  these  important 
articles  could  undertake  the  campaign  even  after  another 
month's  wear  of  the  old  clothes  and  the  advent  of  the 
cold  weather.  On  the  18th  of  October,  that  portion  of 
the  Third  brigade  able  to  perform  duty,  was  marched  to 
Clear  Spring  to  perform  picket  duty,  leaving  in  camp  the 
recruits,  who  were  unarmed,  and  the  invalids.  Thus 
the  brigade  occupied  two  distinct  camps  several  miles 
apart.  The  duty  on  picket  was  by  no  means  severe,  and 


160  CHANGES   IN   COMMAND. 

the  country  was  delightful.  The  boys  found  little  diffi 
culty  in  procuring  abundant  supplies  of  luxuries,  such  as 
soft  bread,  hoe  cakes  and  other  articles,  from  the  farmers ; 
and  as  the  enemy  was  at  Winchester,  they  were  not  in 
great  alarm  from  rebel  raids. 

The  Hagerstown  camp  was  indeed  a  pleasant  one.  The 
people  were  generally  loyal,  and  seemed  glad  to  furnish  the 
soldiers  with  all  the  comforts  possible.  There  was  little 
duty,  and  the  invalids  had  time  for  recovering  their 
exhausted  strength,  while  the  recruits  were  afforded  an 
opportunity  for  drill. 

General  Slocum,  who  had  commanded  the  First  division 
of  our  corps  since  the  corps  was  organized,  was  assigned 
to  the  command  of  the  Twelfth  corps,  in  place  of  General 
Mansfield,  who  lost  his  life  at  Antietam. 

In  the  Vermont  brigade  an  important  change  occurred, 
General  Brooks,  the  old  and  tried  commander  of  the 
brigade,  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  first  divi 
sion  of  the  corps,  succeeding  General  Slocum,  who  took 
command  of  the  Twelfth  corps.  General  Brooks  was 
one  of  the  most  energetic  and  brave  brigade  commanders 
in  our  army,  and  notwithstanding  his  abrupt  and  some 
times  very  stern  manners,  had  endeared  himself  by  his 
excellent  discipline  and  fighting  qualities,  not  only  to 
his  brigade,  but  to  the  whole  division. 

An  amusing  incident,  well  calculated  to  illustrate  the 
mingled  sentiments  of  love  and  fear  entertained  for  the 
general  by  even  those  in  his  own  command,  occurred 
at  a  meeting  of  the  officers  of  the  brigade,  immediately 
after  the  order  for  the  transfer.  The  object  of  the  meet 
ing,  was  to  make  arrangements  for  presenting  the  general 
with  a  suitable  testimonial  of  their  regard.  Some  dis 
cussion  occurred  in  regard  to  the  character  of  the  gift. 
Some  proposed  a  silver  service,  some  a  sword.  At  length 
it  was  proposed,  that  a  fine  horse  and  equipments  be  pur- 


A  GIFT   FOR   GENERAL   BROOKS.  161 

chased.  An  officer  rose  and  said  that  it  was  all  very  well 
to  talk  about  buying  a  horse  for  General  Brooks,  but  he 
would  like  to  know  who  would  be  so  bold  as  to  undertake 
to  present  it  to  him !  Another  officer  suggested  that  the 
horse  might  be  saddled  and  bridled  and  hitched  in  front 
of  the  general's  quarters  during  the  night,  with  a  note 
tied  to  the  bridle  stating  for  whom  it  was  designed,  and 
by  whom  presented. 

A  magnificent  silver  service  was  finally  presented  to  the 
general,  who,  forgetting  his  rough  manners,  received 
the  beautiful  gift  of  his  loved  brigade  with  tears  standing 
on  his  brown  cheeks. 


21 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  SECOND  ADVANCE  INTO    VIRGINIA,   AND    THE 
BATTLE  OF  FREDERICKSBURGH. 

Marching  in  Maryland— Arrival  at  New  Baltimore— General  McClellan  super 
seded  by  General  Burnside— Thanksgiving  in  camp— The  grand  divisions  organ 
ized—The  march  resumed— Fatal  delays  — In  order  of  battle— The  crossing— 
Fredericksburgh  bombarded  — Situation  of  Fredericksburgh— Scenes  of  activity 
—The  Bernard  house— Scenes  at  the  hospital— The  battle  on  the  right— Charges 
of  the  Pennsylvania  reserves  —The  river  recrossed  — Reflections. 

THUS,  for  nearly  six  weeks,  the  army  remained  at  Hagers- 
town,  and  on  the  line  of  the  Potomac,  resting  and  waiting 
for  clothing.  On  the  28th  of  October,  orders  came  to  clear 
all  the  camps  of  sick ;  and  all  from  our  Sixth  corps  were 
sent  to  hospitals  in  Hagerstown.  At  dark,  we  set  out,  and 
making  a  night  march  of  a  few  miles,  reached  Williams- 
port,  where  we  bivouacked  and  remained  two  days,  and 
thence  went  to  Boonsboro'. 

The  march  from  Williamsport  to  Boonsboro'  led  us 
through  a  magnificent  country.  On  either  side  of  the 
road,  the  long  lines  of  corn  shocks  and  the  vine-clad  houses, 
formed  a  picture  of  wealth  and  comfort.  We  halted  at 
Boonsboro'  in  sight  of  the  field  of  Antietam,  and  passed 
our  bi-monthly  muster.  At  daybreak  in  the  morning  we 
were  again  on  the  road.  The  first  part  of  our  way  led 
through  a  beautiful  open  country,  but  we  were  soon  wind 
ing  among  the  hills  that  form  the  slopes  of  "Pleasant 
Valley." 

The  forests  on  the  hillsides,  glowing  with  the  brilliant 
colors  of  autumn,  the  fine  old  residences,  appearing  here 
and  there  among  the  trees,  and  the  plethoric  stacks  of  hay 


MARCHING  THROUGH  MARYLAND.  163 

and  grain,  combined,  indeed,  to  make  it  a  "pleasant  val 
ley,"  and,  as  the  lines  of  troops  filed  along  the  roads,  the 
spectacle  was  beautifully  picturesque.  We  passed  South 
Mountain,  where  the  rebels  had  met  with  such  a  bloody 
reception  from  our  forces,  and  not  long  after  we  were  on 
the  ground  of  the  battle  of  Burkettsville,  where  our  Sixth 
corps  had  charged  up  the  hill  and  had  driven  the  enemy 
in  confusion.  Every  tree  bore  lasting  marks  of  a  terrible 
fight.  For  more  than  a  mile,  the  forest  was  completely 
scarred  by  bullets  and  shells ;  not  a  tree  had  escaped,  and 
many  of  them  were  pierced  like  the  cover  of  a  pepper-box. 
We  halted  near  Berlin,  in  a  charming  valley,  where  we 
staid  over  Sunday.  Monday  morning,  we  crossed  the 
Potomac  to  Virginia,  on  pontoon  bridges,  passed  through 
the  little  towns  of  Lovettsville  and  Purcellville,  Union 
Town  and  Upperville,  then  crossing  the  valley  almost 
from  west  to  east,  from  the  Blue  Ridge  to  the  Kittoctan 
mountains,  at  length,  on  Thursday,  reached  White  Plains, 
a  station  on  the  Front  Royal  and  Manassas  railroad,  not 
far  from  Thoroughfare  Gap.  Here  we  were  overtaken  by 
a  cold  storm  of  rain,  sleet  and  snow,  gloomy  enough,  but 
not  so  gloomy  as  was  the  news  that  here  reached  us  of 
the  elections  in  New  York.  Whatever  the  attitude  of  the 
political  parties  may  have  been  before  or  since  that  time 
in  reference  to  the  war,  in  our  army  the  result  of  the  New 
York  elections  was  regarded,  at  that  time,  as  a  repudiation 
of  the  war. 

We  reached  New  Baltimore  on  the  9th,  and  the  next 
morning  we  were  notified  that,  by  order  of  the  President, 
General  McClellan  was  relieved  from  the  command  of  the 
army  of  the  Potomac,  to  be  superseded  by  Major-General 
Burnside. 

No  sooner  had  the  farewell  order  of  General  McClellan 
been  read  to  the  troops,  than  the  whole  army  was  ordered 
into  line  for  review  by  corps.  The  retiring  and  the  incom- 


164  GENERAL   BUKNSIDE    TAKES    COMMAND. 

ing  generals,  each  with  his  long  train  of  followers,  galloped 
along  the  whole  of  the  line  of  the  army,  while  batteries 
fired  salutes  and  bands  played  "  The  Star  Spangled  Ban 
ner  "  and  "  Hail  to  the  Chief."  Many  of  the  regiments 
cheered  the  departing  general  with  great  enthusiasm, 
while  others  observed  a  studied  silence. 

A  week  was  spent  at  New  Baltimore,  and  then  another 
week  on  the  banks  of  Aquia  creek,  not  far  from  Stafford 
Court  House. 

The  27th  of  November  was  Thanksgiving  day,  in  nearly 
all  the  loyal  States,  and  doubtless  our  friends  at  home,  as 
they  gathered  in  many  a  family  circle  that  day,  to  partake 
bounteous  Thanksgiving  dinners,  spoke  of  those  who  were 
away  at  the  war,  and  thought,  that  with  them,  Thanksgiv 
ing  could  only  be  a  hard  day's  march  in  the  rain  or  mud, 
with  rations  of  hard  bread  and  pork ;  and  so,  many  kind 
hearts  pitied  the  soldiers  as  they  thought  that  \ve  were 
deprived  of  the  luxuries  which  they  were  enjoying. 

But  we,  too,  enjoyed  a  pleasant  Thanksgiving.  In  the 
morning,  throughout  the  corps,  there  was  brigade  inspec 
tion  ;  we  put  on  our  good  clothes  and  presented  ourselves 
to  our  generals,  looking  our  best ;  then  as  we  marched 
back  into  the  various  camps,  we  found  dinner  smoking  in 
many  a  cook-tent,  and  the  odor  of  roast  meats  rising 
throughout  the  whole  corps  like  an  odor  of  sweet  incense. 
Fresh  sheep  pelts  hanging  here  and  there  in  considerable 
profusion,  told  of  good  cheer  among  all  the  men. 

As  evening  approached,  the  voice  of  singing  was  heard 
from  all  the  camps,  and  groups  were  gathered  under  the 
shadow  of  the  chestnut  trees,  where  many  pairs  of  gov 
ernment  shoes  were  shuffling  to  the  music  of  violins. 
Throughout  the  limits  of  the  corps,  good  humor  and 
mirth  prevailed;  the  sick  forgot  their  pains,  and  the  home 
sick  ones,  for  the  time,  looked  bright,  as  they  yielded  to 
the  general  feeling  of  happiness. 


THE    GRAND   DIVISIONS.  165 

General  Burnside,  immediately  upon  taking  command, 
consolidated  the  army  into  three  grand  divisions,  of  two 
corps  each.  The  Right,  to  consist  of  the  Second  corps, 
General  Couch,  and  the  Ninth,  General  Wilcox ;  General 
Sumner  to  command  the  grand  division.  General  Hooker 
was  placed  in  command  of  the  Center  division,  which  con 
sisted  of  the  Third  corps,  General  Stoneman,  and  the  Fifth, 
General  Butterfield.  The  Left  grand  division  consisted  of 
the  Sixth  corps,  under  General  Smith,  and  the  First  corps, 
under  General  Reynolds ;  General  Franklin  was  assigned 
to  the  command. 

The  command  of  the  Second  division,  Sixth  corps,  was 
given  to  Brigadier-General  A.  P.  Howe. 

At  length,  we  resumed  our  march,  reaching  Brooks' 
Station  the  first  night;  then,  after  a  day's  delay,  we 
started  again.  The  weather  was  intensely  cold,  and  the 
mud  almost  unfathomable.  The  troops,  with  much  diffi 
culty,  moved  about  six  miles,  reaching  the  rear  of  Fal- 
mouth  Station,  opposite  Fredericksburgh ;  but  the  trains, 
at  midnight,  had  only  proceeded  two  miles.  In  the  ambu 
lances,  the  sick  suffered  beyond  description.  Six  soldiers 
from  the  Third  brigade,  Second  division,  died  in  the  ambu 
lances  that  night.  Even  the  well  men  in  camp  could 
hardly  manage  to  keep  warm.  Few  persons  in  that  vast 
army  slept,  and  the  ring  of  Jhundreds  of  axes  and  the  fall 
ing  of  trees,  which  were  to  be  piled  on  the  fires,  were 
heard  all  night. 

The  Right  and  Center  grand  divisions,  had  arrived  in  the 
vicinity  of  Falmouth  several  days  before ;  and  it  had  been 
the  design  of  General  Burnside  to  cross  his  army  over  the 
Rappahannock,  seize  the  heights  of  Fredericksburgh,  and 
push  on  toward  Richmond,  before  the  enemy  could  throw 
a  sufficiently  strong  force  in  his  front,  to  offer  serious 
resistance.  In  this,  doubtless,  he  would  have  been 
successful,  but  "  some  one  had  blundered,"  and  the  Com- 


166  WAITING   FOB   PONTOONS. 

mander-in-Chief  suffered  the  mortification  of  seeing  his 
plans  foiled,  and  his  series  of  forced  marches  a  failure, 
because  the  pontoons  which  were  to  meet  him  on  his 
arrival  before  Fredericksburgh  were  still  at  Washington ; 
and  this  through  the  criminal  neglect  of  some  one.  This 
campaign,  which  promised  more  than  any  previous  cam 
paign  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  was  now  destined  to 
prove  a  failure. 

From  the  time  that  the  first  troops  appeared  in  front  of 
Fredericksburgh,  nearly  three  weeks  were  spent  in  wait 
ing  for  pontoons ;  while  General  Lee  had  abundant  time  to 
bring  together  all  his  forces  and  post  them  in  such  positions, 
as  to  dispute  our  passage  at  any  point,  for  twenty  miles  up 
and  down  the  river.  In  guarding  this  extensive  front, 
General  Lee  had  stretched  out  his  army  to  such  an  extent, 
that  Burnside  hoped,  by  throwing  his  whole  army  across 
at  one  point,  to  pierce  the  weak  line  before  his  enemy 
could  concentrate  his  forces. 

On  the  morning  of  the  llth  of  December,  we  marched 
to  a  point  about  two  miles  below  Fredericksburgh.  The 
whole  army  was  in  motion.  The  ground  had  become 
hardened  by  frost,  and  a  light  coating  of  snow  lay  upon 
it.  The  wheels  no  longer  sunk  in  the  mire ;  but  artillery 
rolled  easily  over  the  frozen  ground. 

The  Right  grand  division,  Sumner's,  had  already  taken 
its  position  immediately  in  front  and  above  the  city  of 
Fredericksburgh ;  the  Center,  Hooker's,  and  the  Left  divi 
sion,  Franklin's,  now  took  position  below  the  town. 

As  we  descended  from  the  heights  of  Stafford,  into  the 
valley  of  the  Rappahannock,  dense  clouds  of  fog  obscured 
the  view  of  the  opposite  bank,  and  it  was  only  at  noon 
that  we  could  distinguish  objects  on  the  farther  side  of  the 
river.  Engineers  were  hard  at  work  laying  pontoon 
bridges,  being  submitted  to  a  brisk  musketry  fire  from  the 
rebel  skirmishers,  who  at  times  charged  upon  them,  killing 


BOMBARDMENT    OF    FREDEKICKSBURGH.  167 

and  wounding  several  of  the  workmen,  and  greatly  hin 
dering  the  work.  A  few  volleys  from  our  batteries,  which 
were  brought  forward  presently,  put  these  troublesome 
parties  to  flight,  and  the  work  went  on.  Still,  during  all 
the  day,  the  enemy  strove  with  artillery  and  infantry  to 
prevent  the  laying  of  the  bridge,  but  to  no  avail. 

On  the  right,  where  the  veteran  Sumner  commanded, 
the  task  of  throwing  the  bridges  across,  was  far  more  diffi 
cult  than  at  the  lower  crossing.  In  the  storehouses  and 
dwellings  along  the  banks  of  the  river,  swarms  of  rebel 
soldiers  were  concealed ;  and  these,  by  pouring  murderous 
volleys  into  the  midst  of  the  pontoniers,  compelled  them  to 
desist  from  the  attempt  to  finish  their  bridge.  Determined 
no  longer  to  be  thwarted  by  these  concealed  foes,  General 
Burnside,  having  previously  notified  the  civil  authorities 
of  the  town,  that  if  the  houses  were  used  as  covers  for  men 
who  were  shooting  our  soldiers,  the  town  must  suffer  the 
consequences,  ordered  our  batteries  to  concentrate  their 
fire  upon  it  and  batter  down  the  walls.  Soon  after  noon, 
the  bombardment  commenced.  One  hundred  and  seventy 
cannon  belched  forth  the  huge  iron  missiles  upon  the 
devoted  city.  The  roar  of  the  artillery  was  terrific,  and  as 
the  winds  rolled  away  the  huge  columns  of  smoke,  we  saw 
that  the  city  was  on  fire,  the  flames  leaping  to  the  skies. 
The  spectacle  was  one  of  awful  grandeur.  The  bursting 
bombs,  shooting  forth  their  flashing  coruscations  from  the 
columns  of  smoke,  the  great  tongues  of  flame  from  the 
burning  buildings,  leaping  to  the  heavens,  the  clamor  of 
the  bursting  shells  and  the  shock  of  the  artillery  which 
shook  the  earth,  made  up  one  of  the  most  terribly  magni 
ficent  of  scenes. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  direful  tumult,  and  while  the 
conflagration  of  the  city  drove  the  confederates  out  of 
their  places  of  concealment,  Sumner's  forces  succeeded  in 
laying  their  bridge  and  crossing  troops;  not,  however, 


168  SITUATION   OF   FKEDERICKSBUKGH. 

until  two  brave  regiments  had  crossed  in  boats  and  cap 
tured  or  dispersed  the  rebel  sharpshooters,  who  had  given 
so  much  trouble.  Hooker  also  effected  a  crossing  at  the 
same  time.  We  had  now  bridges  across  at  three  points ; 
"Franklin's  Crossing"  being  nearly  two  miles  below  the 
town. 

The  city  of  Fredericksburgh  is  upon  the  south  bank  of 
the  Kappahannock  river.  Fronting  the  city,  on  the  north 
side  of  the  stream,  rises  a  steep  bluff — Stafford  Heights  — 
which  approaches  near  the  river  above  and  opposite  the 
town,  and  gradually  recedes  from  it  below.  This  was  the 
side  held  by  our  army.  Behind  the  town,  on  the  south, 
the  ground  rises  in  several  successive  terraces  until  it 
reaches  an  elevation  called  "the  mountain."  Each  ter 
race  commands  all  below  it,  and  the  whole  forms  a  position 
of  unsurpassed  advantages  for  defense.  Here,  between 
these  high  grounds,  and  stretching  on  either  side  of  the 
river,  is  the  valley  of  the  Kappahannock  —  almost  a  level 
plain  of  six  miles  in  length,  and  averaging  two  and  a  half 
miles  in  breadth,  narrowing  in  front  of  the  town  to  less 
than  a  mile,  and  spreading  out,  at  the  point  where  our 
lower  bridges  were  thrown  across,  to  at  least  three  miles. 
On  the  crest  of  the  heights,  north  of  the  river,  were  posted 
our  batteries  in  great  numbers.  On  the  plain  and  on  each 
of  the  terraces  south  of  the  river,  the  enemy  was  intrenched 
in  most  formidable  positions. 

The  advance  of  the  enemy  fell  back,  as  our  forces  crossed 
the  river,  leaving  us  in  possession  of  the  plain  on  both 
sides,  and  of  the  town.  Night  came  on,  and  the  spectacle 
was  unutterably  grand,  as  the  sheets  of  fire  burst  from  the 
mouths  of  the  opposing  batteries ;  but  at  length  the  roar 
of  battle  subsided,  and  except  the  firing  of  pickets,  all 
was  quiet.  Franklin  threw  but  a  small  force  across  the 
river;  a  strong  picket  line,  well  supported,  holding  a 
semi-circular  tract  of  the  plain.  The  Eighteenth  and 


CROSSING   THE    EIVEE.  169 

Thirty-first  New  York  were  the  first  of  the  Sixth  corps  to 
cross  the  bridge. 

The  Sixth  corps  returned  to  the  heights  and  bivouacked 
for  the  night,  leaving  a  few  regiments  to  hold  the  plain  in 
front  of  the  bridge.  It  was  the  intention  of  the  command 
ing  general  to  press  the  enemy  closely  in  front  with  the 
Right  and  Center  grand  divisions,  while  the  Left  division 
was  to  make  a  flank  movement  on  the  right  of  the  enemy's 
line,  seizing  the  road  to  Bowling  Green,  and  rendering  the 
rebel  position  untenable. 

Before  dawn  on  the  following  morning,  we  made  our  way 
again  to  the  river.  Thousands  crowded  upon  the  banks, 
or  hurriedly  dashed  across  the  bridge.  The  rumble  of 
wheels  upon  the  frozen  ground,  the  tramp  of  thousands 
of  men,  the  neighing  of  innumerable  horses,  mingled  with 
the  roar  of  musketry.  The  sun  rose  in  splendor,  and  the 
spires  of  the  city,  two  miles  to  our  right,  shone  brightly, 
for  only  the  lower  part  of  the  town  had  been  destroyed 
by  the  conflagration  of  the  day  before,  and  tens  of  thou 
sands  of  muskets  gleamed  in  the  morning  light.  The 
broad  plain,  on  the  south  bank,  swarmed  with  the  hosts 
of  Franklin  and  Hooker.  Musketry  fire  became  more  and 
more  brisk,  as  our  forces  moved  into  position,  but  no  gen 
eral  engagement  came  on.  Shells  from  the  rebel  batteries 
came  bursting  in  our  midst,  and  in  reply,  our  own  guns 
on  Stafford  Heights  sent  their  shells  screaming  over  our 
heads,  to  burst  in  the  midst  of  the  rebel  artillerists. 

A  fine  stone  mansion  of  large  dimensions,  situated  on 
the  south  bank  of  the  river,  and  a  little  below  the  bridge, 
was  taken  by  the  surgeons  of  our  Second  division,  for  a 
hospital.  The  position  was  exposed  to  the  rebel  fire,  but 
it  was  the  best  that  could  be  found.  Just  in  front  of  it 
the  gallant  General  Bayard,  of  the  cavalry,  was  struck  by 
a  shell,  and  killed  instantly.  Others,  some  of  whom  had 
been  previously  been  wounded,  received  fatal  shots  at  the 
22 


no 

very  doors  of  the  house.  The  owner  of  this  magnificent 
mansion  still  remained  in  it.  He  was  an  old  secesh 
bachelor,  very  aristocratic  in  his  notions,  and  highly 
incensed  at  the  use  his  house  was  put  to  by  the  "  hireling 
Yankees."  But  he  was  taken  care  of  by  a  guard.  His 
servants  cooked  for  the  wounded  and  our  surgeons ;  his 
fine  larder  furnished  us  delicacies  and  his  cellar  rich  old 
wines. 

Doubtless  his  feelings  on  delivering  to  us  the  keys  of 
his  wine  cellar  were  not  unlike  those  of  Sir  Hugh  Berkley 
in  "  The  Wagoner ; "  who 

"  —  only  knew  they  drank  his  wine; 
Would  they  might  hang,  a  scarecrow  line, 
On  the  next  lightning  blasted  tree." 

Saturday,  the  sun  appeared,  bright  and  warm  as  on  a 
spring  morning.  The  battle  now  commenced  in  terrible 
earnest.  First,  on  the  left,  the  booming  of  heavy  guns  and 
the  rattle  of  musketry  told  of  hot  work  in  our  own  front. 
Then  gradually  the  battle  rolled  on  to  the  right;  and 
while  it  thundered  there,  our  forces  on  the  left  remained 
comparatively  quiet,  Then,  back  again  came  the  roar  of 
cannon,  the  shrieking  and  cracking  of  shells  and  the  din 
of  musketry. 

The  hills  in  our  front  were  thickly  wooded,  and  in  these 
woods  "  Stonewall "  Jackson  had  concealed  his  forces. 
General  Meade,  with  his  division  of  Pennsylvania  reserves, 
and  Gibbons,  with  his  division,  both  of  Reynolds'  First 
corps,  were  sent  to  take  and  hold  the  Bowling  Green  road, 
which  lay  in  the  edge  of  the  wood.  Gallantly  and  in 
splendid  order,  the  two  divisions  moved  up  toward  the 
edge  of  the  wood.  Gibbons'  division  halted  at  the  railroad, 
near  the  wood,  Meade's  pressed  forward,  and  presently 
disappeared  among  the  trees.  Although  considerable  resist 
ance  was  met  with,  the  gallant  division  continued  to  press 


171 

forward,  the  rebels  steadily  giving  way.  Suddenly,  the 
roar  of  cannon  became  awful,  and  the  fire  of  musketry 
almost  deafening.  The  rebels  had  opened  an  enfilading  fire 
upon  the  division,  which  made  fearful  havoc.  The  men  who 
had  so  gallantly  marched  into  the  woods,  came  hurrying 
back  in  disorder ;  not,  however,  until  they  had  succeeded 
in  capturing  several  hundred  prisoners  from  the  enemy.  A 
flag,  one  or  two  mounted  officers,  and  a  squad  of  a  dozen 
or  twenty  men* were  all  that  could  be  recognized  as  a  regi 
mental  organization ;  all  others  had  fallen  before  the  deadly 
fire  that  met  them,  or  had  lost  their  commands.  The  men 
quickly  rallied  about  their  flags  and  again  charged  into  the 
woods,  and  again  they  were  sent  back  in  disorder.  They 
were  now  withdrawn,  and  the  rebels  charged  upon  the  line 
of  the  Sixth  corps.  The  troops  of  our  Second  division 
were  lying  down  behind  a  slight  elevation  of  ground, 
and,  as  the  rebels  charged  down  furiously  upon  us,  our 
men  suddenly  rose  and  poured  a  deadly  volley  into  them. 
At  the  same  time  the  troops  of  the  First  division  met 
their  attack  with  spirit,  and  sent  them  reeling  back 
to  their  cover  in  the  forest. 

The  wounded  poured  into  our  hospitals,  and  well  did 
those  surgeons,  who  had  seized  the  stone  mansion,  earn 
that  day,  lasting  gratitude  from  their  division. 

Never  had  wounded  men  been  so  quickly  or  so  well 
cared  for.  It  was  the  beginning  of  an  era  of  organized 
labor  in  that  department.  Among  the  earliest  of  the 
wounded  was  General  Vinton,  commanding  the  Third 
brigade,  Second  division.  A  ball  had  passed  into  the 
abdomen,  and  was  cut  out  from  his  back.  The  unfortu 
nate  men  were  stowed  in  every  part  of  the  great  house, 
and  in  the  smaller  buildings  surrounding  it,  and  tents 
furnished  shelter  for  those  unable  to  find  room  in  the 
buildings.  After  General  Vinton  was  wounded,  Brigadier- 
General  Thomas  H.  Neill  was  ordered  to  assume  the 


172  THE    WOUNDED. 

command  of  our  brigade,  which  he  did  on  the  battle 
field. 

Meanwhile,  on  the  right,  Simmer's  and  Hooker's  forces 
were  striving,  with  herculean  efforts,  to  dislodge  the 
enemy  from  his  strongholds,  but  to  no  avail.  His  posi 
tion  was  impregnable,  and  the  Union  forces  only  advanced 
against  the  works  to  meet  with  deadly  repulse  from  the 
savage  fire  of  the  concealed  foe,  and  to  full  back  with 
fearful  losses.  Thus  the  struggle  lasted  until  evening, 
when  the  roar  of  battle  was  hushed,  and  our  tired  troops 
slumbered  upon  their  arms. 

On  Sunday  morning  the  rattle  of  musketry  and  the 
thunder  of  artillery  commenced  again,  but,  as  little  reply 
was  made  by  the  enemy,  the  demonstration  on  our  part 
soon  ceased,  and  the  day  was  spent  in  comparative  quiet. 
It  was  said  that  General  Burnside,  unwilling  to  give  up 
the  struggle,  had  ordered  an  advance  of  the  Ninth  corps, 
which  he  was  personally  to  lead,  against  one  of  the  rebel 
strongholds,  but  that  he  had  yielded  to  the  advice  of  the 
grand  division  commanders  to  refrain  from  the  attempt. 

Monday  still  found  us  on  the  battle-field.  The  thumping 
of  artillery  was  renewed,  but  not  fiercely.  Our  wounded 
were  removed  to  the  other  side  of  the  river.  A  kind 
providence  had  favored  them,  for  the  weather  had  been 
delightful.  Had  such  weather  prevailed  as  we  experienced 
a  few  days  before,  many  of  the  wounded,  faint  and 
exhausted  from  the  loss  of  blood,  must  have  perished  with 
the  cold.  During  the  night  the  whole  army  was  with 
drawn,  Avith  as  much  secrecy  as  possible,  across  the  pon 
toon  bridges.  No  sooner  had  the  troops  crossed  to  the 
north  side  of  the  river  than  the  bridges  were  taken  up,  and 
the  two  armies  were  again  separated  by  the  Rappahannock. 
As  the  bridges  were  being  taken  up,  the  rebels  rushed  to 
the  bank  and  fired  into  the  pontoniers,  but  were  repelled 
by  the  men  of  the  Seventy-seventh  New  York.  That  regi- 


REFLECTIONS.  173 

ment  formed  a  picket  line  along  the  bank  of  the  river,  but 
were  ordered  not  to  fire  unless  the  enemy  did.  "  A  pretty 
order,"  said  Terry  Gray,  of  Company  B,  •"  to  Avait  till  a  man 
is  killed  before  he  can  fire  his  gun  !"  The  army  went  into 
camp  on  a  line  from  Falmouth  to  Belle  Plain ;  the  Sixth 
corps  occupying  nearly  the  center  of  the  line,  at  a  place 
called  White  Oak  Church,  from  a  little  whitewashed  meet 
ing  house,  without  bell  or  steeple,  in  the  midst  of  a  clump 
of  white  oak  trees. 

The  attempt  to  capture  the  heights  of  Fredericksburgh 
by  a  direct  assault  was  indeed  a  daring  undertaking,  and 
one  involving  a  fearful  risk.  The  only  hope  of  success  lay 
in  the  active  and  hearty  cooperation  of  all  the  commands 
of  the  army.  Such  cooperation  was  not  to  be  had.  To 
the  Left  grand  division  was  assigned  an  important  work 
which  it  failed  to  accomplish ;  not  because  it  was  defeated 
in  the  attempt,  but  because  the  attempt  was  not  made  in 
earnest.  The  troops  were  brave  and  eager  to  meet  the 
enemy.  iSTone  were  ever  more  brave  or  more  desirous  to 
test  their  valor.  The  heroic  deeds  of  those  who  did 
advance  against  the  enemy  will  ever  redound  to  the  glory 
of  our  arms ;  and  had  all  the  forces  of  the  Left  grand  divi 
sion  been  brought  fairly  into  action,  the  result  might  have 
been  different.  Surely  such  troops  as  composed  the  grand 
old  Sixth  corps  were  fitted  for  a  nobler  work  than  standing 
upon  an  open  plain,  exposed  to  fierce  artillery  fire,  without 
ever  being  allowed  to  turn  upon  the  enemy.  Our  defeat 
had  cost  us  more  than  twelve  thousand  men,  in  killed, 
wounded  and  missing. 


CHAPTER  XYI. 


THE  WINTER  AT  FAL MOUTH. 

Camp  at  White  Oak  Church— "The  mud  march "  — Return  to  camp  — General 
Neill— General  Hooker  supersedes  General  Burnside— Burnside's  magnanimity 

—  General  Hooker  as  a  soldier— Reconstruction  — The  cavalry  organized— Busi 
ness  departments  renovated— The  medical  department— Ambulance  system  — 
Quartermasters'  and  commissary  departments  —  Life  in  camp  — Snowball  bat 
tles—In  the  Seventy-seventh— The  Light  division— Review  by  General  Hooker 

—  General  John  Sedgwick  —  Scene  at  head-quarters —Review  of  the  army  by  the 
President  —  Preparing  for  the  campaign. 

THE  men  built   huts, 
and    made     themselves 
as  comfortable   as  they 
could,  in  their  camp  at 
White  Oak  Church,  but 
disease    spread   rapidly, 
especially  among  the  re 
cruits.     The    regiments 
were     crowded    closely 
together  on  ground  too  low  and  wet  for 
good   camping   ground,   and   the    men, 
having  never  before  erected  winter  quar 
ters  from  shelter    tents,  were    not    so 
expert  as  they  became  in  the  succeeding 
winters;    so  they  suffered   from  incon 
venient  quarters,  as  well  as  from  the  low 
white  oak  church,  Va.  ground  and  crowded  camps. 

Our  army  was  now  composed  in  large  part,  of  the  recruits 
sent  from  the  north  during  the  preceding  summer  and 
autumn,  and  thousands  of  these  had  never  had  any  idea 
of  fighting  or  of  suffering  the  privations  of  army  life. 


A    NEW    CAMPAIGN.  175 

They  had  enlisted  for  the  large  bounties  which  were  paid 
at  that  time,  with  the  determination  to  leave  the  service  as 
soon  as  their  bounties  were  paid,  and  a  favorable  oppor 
tunity  offered  itself  for  escape.  Desertions  became  alarm 
ingly  frequent ;  indeed,  when  a  few  weeks  later  General 
Hooker  assumed  command,  there  were  more  than  eighty- 
four  thousand  absentees,  with  and  without  authority.  The 
great  number  of  desertions,  we  think,  should  be  attributed 
to  the  fact  that  so  large  a  proportion  of  the  new  recruits 
had  enlisted  for  money,  rather  than  to  the  demoralization 
of  the  army. 

Notwithstanding  the  inconveniences  to  which  the  men 
were  subjected,  and  the  advance  to  midwinter,  the  weather 
was  in  our  favor.  The  sun  shone  brightly,  the  days  were 
warm  and  the  roads  dry.  It  became  evident  that  General 
Burnside  was  determined  not  to  allow  the  delightful 
weather  and  the  excellent  roads  to  pass  unimproved. 
Indications  of  a  general  movement  crowded  upon  us,  and 
on  the  20th  of  January  came  the  order  to  march. 

The  whole  army  broke  camp  and  moved  toward  Banks' 
Ford,  two  miles  up  the  river  from  White  Oak  Church. 
On  the  march,  an  order  from  the  commanding  general 
was  read  to  the  troops,  announcing  to  them  that  the  aus 
picious  moment  had  at  length  arrived  when  we  were  to 
reap  the  glorious  fruits  of  our  long  toils.  At  five  o'clock 
we  halted  in  the  thick  woods  at  Banks'  Ford,  the  point 
selected  for  crossing  the  river,  and  in  a  few  minutes  were 
quietly  and  comfortably  bivouacked  out  of  sight  of  rebels 
on  the  opposite  side.  Scarcely  had  we  settled  ourselves 
for  a  comfortable  night's  rest,  when  the  clouds,  which 
had  been  gathering  since  morning,  broke  in  rain,  and  the 
delightful  Indian  summer  gave  way  to  the  rainy  winter 
of  the  south.  All  night  long  the  rain  poured,  and  all  the 
next  day.  It  was  evident  we  had  waited  too  long.  But 
the  commander  was  determined  not  to  abandon  his  effort 


176  IN   THE    MUD. 

to  outflank  the  enemy.  By  morning,  the  roads  were  so 
softened  by  the  rain,  that  horses  could  not  haul  artillery 
or  pontoons  into  position.  Men  took  the  place  of  horses. 
The  whole  Vermont  brigade  was  detailed  to  drag  the  pon 
toons  and  guns  to  the  river.  All  day  long,  working  and 
tugging  with  the  mud  above  their  knees ;  here  a  hundred 
men  pulling  at  a  pontoon  boat,  there  a  party  prying  a 
cannon  out  of  the  mire  with  long  levers,  and  still  other 
parties  laying  strips  of  corduroy  road.  The  Vermonters 
passed  a  disagreeable  day. 

General  Burnside  was  not  idle  all  this  while.  Riding 
from  one  point  to  another,  now  personally  superintending 
the  placing  of  a  battery  in  position  on  the  bank  of  the 
river,  now  encouraging  the  men  who  lugged  at  the  boats 
and  guns,  and  now  selecting  places  to  cut  new  roads,  he 
passed  the  night  and  the  day  in  fatiguing  and  anxious 
labor.  As  he  rode  through  the  camp  of  our  division  in 
the  afternoon,  with  only  two  staff  officers,  himself  and  his 
horse  completely  covered  with  mud,  the  rim  of  his  hat 
turned  down  to  shed  the  rain,  his  face  careworn  with  this 
unexpected  disarrangement  of  his  plans,  we  could  but 
think  that  the  soldier  on  foot,  arm  oppressed  with  the 
weight  of  knapsack,  haversack  and  gun,  bore  an  easy  load 
compared  with  that  of  the  commander  of  the  army,  who 
now  saw  departing  his  hopes  of  redeeming  the  prestige 
he  had  lost  at  Fredericksburgh. 

Men  were  detailed  from  each  of  the  regiments  of  the 
corps  to  return  to  Falmouth,  a  distance  of  five  miles,  to 
bring  on  their  backs  two  days'  rations ;  those  brought  by 
the  men  being  nearly  exhausted.  But  during  the  night  it 
was  determined  to  abandon  the  attempt  to  cross  the  river. 
The  enemy,  by  this  time  fully  aware  of  our  intention, 
was  prepared  for  us,  and  a  crossing  could  only  be  made  at 
great  sacrifice,  perhaps  with  defeat.  So  at  sunrise  in  the 
morning  we  were  on  the  road  back  to  our  old  camp ;  this 


AN  ARMY   OF   STEAGGLEES.  177 

time  for  permanent  winter  quarters.  All  along  the  road 
lay  a  multitude  of  dead  horses  and  mules,  which  had  fallen 
in  the  tremendous  but  unavailing  efforts  of  the  day  before. 
Artillery  and  wagons  still  stuck  fast  in  the  mud,  and 
cannoniers  and  teamsters  lifted  and  tugged  with  rails 
and  with  poles  to  raise  the  piece  or  the  wagon  from  the 
mire. 

The  mud  was  deep,  the  day  was  gloomy  and  the  men 
were  discouraged.  They  straggled  badly.  Regiments 
were  not  to  be  distinguished.  The  whole  column  became 
an  unorganized  crowd,  pressing  toward  the  old  camps. 
Tired  and  discouraged  as  were  the  men,  they  kept  up  their 
lively  sallies  and  jokes,  as  though  all  was  smooth  work. 
Toward  evening  the  troops  of  our  corps  arrived  on  their 
old  ground,  now  to  be  our  home  until  the  opening  of 
spring,  and  at  once  fell  to  work  to  restore  to  some  degree 
of  comfort  that  most  desolute  of  scenes,  an  abandoned 
camp.  Unfortunately,  on  leaving  the  place,  little  think 
ing  that  they  were  so  soon  to  return,  they  had  burned 
everything  combustible,  and  thus  a  strip  of  board  or  a 
piece  of  timber  could  hardly  be  found  within  the  limits  of 
the  corps.  Nevertheless,  comfortable  quarters  were  soon 
erected,  and  the  routine  of  drills  and  picket  was  resumed. 

Brigadier-General  Neill,  who  was  assigned  to  the  com 
mand  of  the  Third  brigade,  was  active  in  encouraging  his 
men  to  provide  good  quarters,  and  in  furnishing  every 
facility  in  his  power  to  make  them  comfortable.  The 
general  was  a  portly  gentleman,  with  light  red  hair  and 
whiskers,  and  a  small  blue  eye,  ceremonious  in  his  style, 
and  a  perfect  pattern  of  courtliness.  He  had,  at  West 
Point,  won  the  appellation  of  "  Beau  Neill,"  a  title  which 
never  left  him.  He  was  a  good  commander  in  camp.  He 
orginated  the  brigade  dress  parade  that  winter,  often  calling 
out  the  brigade  on  fine  evenings,  and  substituting  the 
brigade  for  the  regimental  parade.  The  custom  was  at 
23 


178  GENERAL   HOOKER   IN   COMMAND. 

length  adopted  in  many  brigades  in  the  army  of  the  Poto 
mac ;  but  few  gave  credit  for  the  improved  parade  to  the 
originator  of  it. 

The  second  failure  of  General  Burnside  rendered  his 
removal  from  the  command  of  the  army  a  thing  to  be 
expected ;  and  no  one  was  surprised  when  the  order  came 
relieving  him,  and  assigning  General  Hooker  to  the  com 
mand.  It  must  be  confessed  that  our  failure  at  Bank's 
Ford  had  done  much  to  demoralize  the  army  and  destroy 
the  confidence  in  the  commanding  general  so  absolutely 
necessary  to  success.  On  our  way  back  from  Bank's  Ford, 
as  we  passed  Fredericksburgh,  we  saw  huge  placards  posted 
up  by  the  rebels  with  taunting  inscriptions,  such  as  "  Burn- 
side  stuck  in  the  mud,"  printed  in  conspicuous  letters. 
The  men  caught  up  the  words,  and  "  Burnside  stuck  in  the 
mud  "  passed  from  one  end  of  the  disordered  column  to 
the  other.  When  we  had  failed  at  Fredericksburgh,  the 
men  were  as  willing  as  ever  to  try  again  under  the  same 
commander.  They  believed  him  to  be  at  least  earnest  and 
brave.  They  knew  that  he  was  noble  and  self-sacrificing. 
In  the  noble  letter  to  General  Halleck,  in  which  he  assumed 
all  the  responsibility  for  the  failure  at  Fredericksburgh, 
they  found  renewed  assurance  that  he  had  all  the  qualities 
of  a  true  soldier  —  bravery,  integrity  and  true  manhood ; 
but  an  army  must  have  success,  or  it  cannot  long  repose 
confidence  in  the  general.  So,  while  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  regarded  General  Burnside  with  great  respect,  it 
gladly  welcomed  the  advent  of  "  Fighting  Joe  Hooker " 
to  the  command. 

General  Hooker  had  fairly  won  the  title  of  "  Fighting 
Joe "  at  the  slaughter  of  Williamsburgh,  where,  almost 
single-handed  with  his  division,  he  had  stemmed  the  tide 
of  battle  for  hours,  until  reinforced  by  Kearney,  and  then, 
with  the  help  of  that  hero,  had  held  the  whole  rebel  army 
until  it  was  outflanked  by  our  Second  division. 


RECONSTRUCTION.  179 

In  all  the  battles  of  the  Peninsula  he  had  been  conspic 
uous,  and  at  South  Mountain  and  Antietam  his  fighting 
propensities  were  exhibited  in  more  than  their  wonted 
splendor.  In  person  he  was  of  large  stature,  with  fine 
features,  brilliant  eye,  his  side  whiskers  and  ruddy  counte 
nance  giving  a  more  youthful  appearance  than  his  light 
gray  hair  would  indicate.  His  gleaming  eye  told  of  the 
spirit  which  animated  the  man,  and  his  determined  air 
betokened  the  persistent  and  fearless  soldier.  In  battle 
or  on  review  he  rode  a  magnificent  milk  white  steed,  a 
powerful  animal  and  of  extraordinary  fleetness.  Mounted 
on  this  superb  war  horse,  he  was  the  most  conspicuous,  as 
he  was  always  one  of  the  handsomest  men  in  the  army. 

The  energy  of  the  new  commander  soon  began  to  be 
manifested  in  the  reconstruction  and  reorganization  of 
the  whole  army.  The  first  step  in  the  progress  of  recon 
struction,  was  the  revocation  of  the  order  making  three 
grand  divisions  of  the  army.  By  the  abolition  of  the  grand 
divisions,  Generals  Sumner  and  Franklin  were  relieved 
from  their  commands;  and  the  corps  commanders,  no 
longer  subject  to  intermediate  commanders,  were  again 
directly  responsible  to  the  general-in-chief  of  the  army. 
Doubtless  General  Hooker  had  seen  that  the  creation  of 
these  grand  divisions  had  much  to  do  with  the  failures 
of  General  Burnside. 

The  cavalry  next  engaged  the  attention  of  the  general. 
The  whole  force  was  thoroughly  reorganized  and  put  in 
an  efficient  condition,  under  command  of  Major-General 
Stoneman.  Hereafter,  men  were  not  to  ask,  "  Who  ever 
saw  a  dead  cavalryman  ?"  To  General  Hooker,  the  cav 
alry  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  owes  its  efficiency  and 
the  glorious  record  it  from  that  time  made  for  itself. 

The  superiority  of  the  rebel  cavalry,  in  the  early  part 
of  the  war,  was  generally  attributed  to  the  supposed  fact 
that  the  young  men  of  the  south  were  so  much  better 


180  THE    DEPARTMENTS    SYSTEMATIZED. 

horsemen  than  those  of  the  north.  In  reality,  this  had 
little,  if  anything,  to  do  with  it.  It  is  even  very  doubtful 
if  there  was  any  difference  in  favor  of  the  superior  horse 
manship  of  the  southern  cavalry.  Their  strength  lay  in 
their  union.  The  rebel  cavalry  was  organized  from  the 
beginning ;  ours  was  an  incoherent  mass  of  men,  having 
no  proper  relations  or  dependencies  within  itself.  From 
the  day  that  it  became  organized,  the  superiority  of  the 
rebel  cavalry  passed  away  forever.  We  had  always  better 
horses,  and  our  men  were  certainly  never  inferior  to  the 
rebels.  All  that  was  needed  was  the  proper  combination 
of  action ;  and,  as  soon  as  this  was  secured,  our  cavalry 
became  the  finest  in  the  world. 

The  business  departments  were  also  thoroughly  renova 
ted.  The  changes  in  the  medical,  quartermasters'  and 
commissary  departments  were  such  as  to  bring  each  to  a 
standard  of  perfection,  which  had  never  before  been 
reached  by  those  departments  of  any  army  in  the  field. 
No  army  had  ever  been  provisioned  as  was  ours  that 
winter.  Soft  bread,  potatoes,  beets,  carrots,  onions,  fresh 
beef,  flour,  sugar  and  coffee,  constituted  the  regular  rations 
of  the  men,  and  facilities  were  afforded  for  procuring 
luxuries  not  in  the  regular  supply. 

The  medical  department  became  so  thoroughly  system 
atized,  that  wounded  and  sick  men  were  cared  for  better 
than  they  had  ever  been  in  an  army  before.  This  radical 
change  had  commenced  under  General  Burnside ;  but  was 
perfected  under  General  Hooker,  by  the  efficient  and 
earnest  medical  director  of  the  army,  Dr.  Letterman ;  to 
whom  belongs  the  honor  of  bringing  about  this  most 
desirable  change. 

By  the  new  system,  the  surgeons  were  enabled  to  accom 
plish  a  far  greater  amount  of  work,  and  in  much  better 
order  than  under  the  old;  and  the  wounded  were  bet 
ter  and  more  quickly  cared  for.  By  this  system  the 


THE    MEDICAL   DEPARTMENT.  181 

hospital  of  the  division  was  the  unit.  From  the  division, 
a  medical  officer  of  good  executive  ability  was  selected,  to 
whom  was  assigned  the  general  oversight  of  the  hospital. 
One  or  more  surgeons  of  well  known  skill  and  experience 
were  detailed  from  the  medical  force  of  the  division,  who 
were  known  as  "  operating  surgeons ; "  to  each  of  whom 
was  assigned  three  assistants,  also  known  to  be  skillful 
men,  who  were  either  surgeons  or  assistant  surgeons.  To 
the  operating  surgeons  all  cases  requiring  surgical  opera 
tions  were  brought,  and  thus  the  wounded  men  had  the 
benefit  of  the  very  best  talent  and  experience  in  the  divi 
sion,  in  the  decision  of  the  question  whether  he  should  be 
submitted  to  the  use  of  the  knife,  and  in  the  performance  of 
the  operation  in  case  one  was  required.  Tt  was  a  mistaken 
impression  among  those  at  home,  that  each  medical  officer 
was  the  operating  surgeon  for  his  own  men.  Only  about 
one  in  fifteen  of  the  medical  officers  was  intrusted  with 
operations. 

From  each  brigade  an  assistant  surgeon  was  detailed  to 
provide  food  and  shelter  for  the  wounded.  His  duty  was 
to  superintend  the  erection  of  hospital  tents  as  soon  as 
there  was  a  prospect  of  an  engagement,  and  to  have  hot 
coffee  and  rations  of  food  ready  for  the  wounded  as  soon  as 
they  came  to  the  hospital ;  he  was  to  attend  to  their  cloth 
ing,  bedding  and  rations  as  long  as  they  remained  in  the 
hospital. 

Another  assistant  surgeon  from  each  brigade  was  selected 
to  keep  the  records ;  to  take  the  name  and  character  of 
wound  of  every  one  who  was  brought  to  the  hospital,  with 
the  operation,  if  any ;  and  the  list  of  deaths,  the  place  of 
burial,  and  all  other  matters  necessary  to  record.  An 
assistant  surgeon  was  to  remain  with  each  regiment, 
and  attend  to  getting  the  wounded  from  the  field  into 
the  ambulances,  and  to  arrest  hemorrhage  in  case  of 
necessity. 


182  THE   AMBULANCE    SYSTEM. 

Thus,  all  labor  was  systematized.  Every  officer  and 
nurse  knew  exactly  what  to  do :  each  had  his  own  part  of 
the  work  assigned  to  him,  and  there  was  no  conflicting 
of  orders  or  clashing  of  opinions. 

Our  ambulance  system  was  also  very  perfect  — so  com 
plete,  indeed,  that,  after  a  year  of  trial  in  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  congress  adopted  it  as  the  ambulance  system  of 
the  United  States.  To  Doctor  Letterman,  also,  belongs 
the  honor  of  originating  this  system. 

The  ambulances  of  each  corps  were  under  command  of  a 
captain,  who  acted  under  directions  from  the  medical 
director  of  the  corps.  A  lieutenant  commanded  the  ambu 
lances  of  a  division,  and  a  second  lieutenant  those  of  a 
brigade.  To  each  ambulance  was  assigned  a  driver,  and 
two  stretcher-bearers ;  and  to  three  ambulances  a  sergeant, 
mounted.  The  ambulances  of  a  division  always  went 
too-ether,  behind  the  division,  and  on  the  march  were 

£D  ' 

attended  by  a  surgeon,  an  assistant  surgeon,  a  hospital 
steward,  a  cook,  and  three  or  more  nurses,  who  were  to 
attend  to  the  wants  of  the  sick  in  the  ambulances,  and  at 
night,  if  any  were  unable  to  return  to  their  regiments,  to 
erect  tents  for  them,  and  supply  them  with  food  and  bed 
ding.  In  an  engagement,  the  stretcher-bearers  of  each 
regiment,  with  the  sergeant,  reported  to  the  assistant  sur 
geon  in  attendance  with  the  regiment.  As  soon  as  a  man 
was  wounded,  he  was  brought  to  the  medical  officer,  put 
into  an  ambulance,  and  taken  to  the  division  hospital.  By 
this  means,  ordinarily,  every  man  was  carried  to  the  hos 
pital  of  his  own  division. 

The  improvements  in  the  quartermasters'  department 
were  nearly  as  great ;  and  we  have  already  alluded  to  the 
abundant  supplies  furnished  by  the  commissary  depart 
ment. 

Great  difficulty  was  experienced  by  the  troops  of  our 
corps  in  getting  wood.  The  men  of  our  Second  division 


SNOWBALLING.  183 

lugged  wood  on  their  backs  a  mile  and  a  half,  with  which 
to  do  their  cooking  and  warm  their  tents.  But  notwith 
standing  the  hardships  they  endured,  the  inclemency  of 
the  winter,  and  their  severe  picket  duty,  the  men  were 
gay.  In  many  of  the  regiments,  the  sounds  of  the  guitar 
and  accordion  could  be  heard  every  evening ;  and  on 
pleasant  afternoons  and  evenings,  parties  assembled  in  the 
company  streets  and  danced  cotillions,  and  polkas,  and  jigs, 
to  the  music  of  violins.  When  snow  covered  the  ground, 
mimic  battles  with  snowballs  were  a  frequent  amusement. 
At  times,  one  regiment  would  challenge  another,  and  a 
general  melee  would  follow.  Snowballing  was,  particu 
larly,  a  favorite  amusement  with  our  friends  of  the  Twenty- 
first  New  Jersey,  who  never  let  an  opportunity  pass  for 
indulging  in  their  favorite  sport.  Each  party  carried  its 
flags  and  was  led  by  officers  chosen  for  the  occasion.  The 
capture  of  a  flag,  or  of  a  number  of  prisoners,  from  an 
opposite  party,  caused  great  glee  among  the  victors.  A 
good  deal  of  interest  was  excited  throughout  the  Second 
division  by  a  snowball  battle  between  one  of  the  Vermont 
regiments  and  the  Twenty-sixth  New  Jersey.  Both  regi 
ments  formed  in  line  of  battle,  each  officered  by  its  line 
and  field  officers,  the  latter  mounted.  At  the  signal,  the 
battle  commenced;  charges  and  counter-charges  were 
made,  prisoners  were  taken  on  either  side,  the  air  was 
filled  with  the  white  missiles,  and  stentorian  cheers  went 
up  as  one  or  other  party  gained  an  advantage.  At  length 
victory  rested  with  the  Vermonters,  and  the  Jersey  boys 
surrendered  the  field,  defeated. 

Another  favorite  amusement  in  the  corps  was  the  game 
of  base  ball.  There  were  many  excellent  players  in  the 
different  regiments,  and  it  was  common  for  the  ball 
players  of  one  regiment  or  brigade  to  challenge  another 
regiment  or  brigade.  These  matches  were  watched  by 
great  crowds  of  soldiers  with  intense  interest. 


184  IN   THE   SEVENTY-SEVENTH. 

In  our  Seventy-seventh  regiment,  matters  went  on  much 
the  same  as  in  other  regiments  of  the  corps.  We  had  our 
share  of  disease  and  desertions.  We  had  our  ball-players 
and  our  violinists;  our  singers  and  our  story-tellers,  as 
every  regiment  had.  At  regimental  head-quarters,  matters 
went  on  gaily.  It  was  the  custom  of  the  officers  of  the 
field  and  staff  to  collect  in  one  of  the  tents  as  evening 
came  on,  and,  in  company  with  friends  from  other  regi 
ments,  pass  the  hours  in  lively  converse,  in  singing  and 
relating  amusing  stories. 

We  had  a  glee  book  and  an  old  copy  of  the  "  Carmina 
Sacra,"  and  then  our  friend,  Colonel,  now  Major-General, 
Connor,  was  never  at  a  loss  for  a  song,  and  Colonel  French 
often  displayed  his  genius  with  the  violin,  and  our  friend, 
the  chaplain,  could  always  tell  a  good  story  or  perpetrate 
a  joke.  Chaplain  Norman  Fox  was  an  accession  to  our 
staff,  who  joined  us  when  we  first  encamped  at  White 
Oak  Church.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  enterprise  and 
talent,  who,  soon  after  his  arrival  in  camp,  instituted  a 
series  of  religious  meetings  on  week  days,  in  addition  to 
the  regular  services  of  the  Sabbath,  and  a  good  deal  of 
religious  interest  was  awakened  among  the  men. 

Among  other  changes,  we  lost  one  of  our  most  valuable 
and  beloved  officers.  Dr.  Campbell,  who  had  for  weeks 
been  declining  in  health,  was  obliged  to  resign.  The 
doctor  was  a  most  genial  and  companionable  man,  and  an 
excellent  officer.  We  greatly  missed  his  hearty  laugh, 
his  fund  of  stories  and  ready  wit  in  our  social  gatherings. 
The  doctor  was  afterward  appointed  surgeon  of  the  For 
tieth  New  York,  but  was  attacked  with  spotted  fever, 
from  which  he  recovered  only  after  a  long  illness,  during 
which  he  again  resigned. 

The  First  brigade,  Second  division,  which  for  some  time 
past  had  been  under  command  of  General  Calvin  A.  Pratt, 
was  broken  up,  and  a  new  brigade,  called  the  "  Light 


REVIEW  BY   GENERAL   HOOKER.  185 

division,"  was  formed  from  the  regiments  of  the  First 
brigade,  and  one  regiment  from  each  the  First  and  Third 
divisions.  The  regiments  were,  the  Fifth  Wisconsin,  the 
Sixth  Maine,  the  Thirty-first  and  Forty-third  New  York, 
and  the  Sixty-first  Pennsylvania.  Colonel  Burnham,  of 
the  Sixth  Maine,  was  placed  in  command. 

Among  other  reviews  in  the  Sixth  corps  during  the 
winter,  was  one  by  General  Hooker,  of  onr  Second  divi 
sion  and  the  Light  division.  The  troops  were  formed  in 
line,  and  the  general  and  staff  were  escorted  to  the  ground 
by  the  Twentieth  New  York,  of  Neill's  brigade,  in  splendid 
style.  The  regiment  was  composed  entirely  of  German 
Turners.  Their  drill  surpassed  that  of  any  regiment  of 
regulars,  and  the  exquisite  neatness  they  displayed  in  their 
dress  and  in  the  care  of  their  equipments,  together  with 
the  perfection  of  their  movements,  made  them  the  finest 
appearing  regiment  in  the  service,  when  on  parade.  It  is 
to  be  regretted  that  the  prestige  of  the  regiment  was  not 
always  sustained  on  the  battle-field.  As  the  regiment  and 
cavalcade  appeared  on  the  field,  it  was  a  brilliant  pageant ; 
first  came  our  brigade  band,  one  of  the  finest  in  the  army, 
then  the  pioneers  of  the  Twentieth,  their  axes,  shovels 
and  picks  polished  so  that  they  glistened  in  the  sunlight 
like  burnished  silver;  then  the  Twentieth  regiment,  in 
column  by  company,  marching  with  step  as  perfect  as 
though  all  were  directed  by  a  single  will ;  following  the 
regiment,  rode  General  Hooker  on  his  superb  white  horse, 
a  head  and  shoulders  above  all  his  cavalcade.  The 
immense  suite,  consisting  of  General  Hooker's  own  staff, 
and  a  large  number  of  major-generals  and  their  staffs, 
completed  the  brilliant  column.  The  division  was  drawn 
up  in  a  line,  stretching  a  half  a  mile  across  the  field, 
straight  as  the  flight  of  an  arrow,  with  artillery  on  either 
flank.  The  general  and  his  brilliant  retinue,  rode  to  the 
right  of  the  line,  and  advanced  slowly  along  the  front  of 
24 


186  GENERAL    SEDGWICK. 

the  whole  division,  inspecting  closely  each  regiment  as  he 
passed,  the  bands  playing  "  Hail  to  the  Chief,"  the  colors 
dipping,  and  the  bugles  pealing  notes  of  welcome. 
Having  passed  the  entire  front  of  the  line,  the  chief  now 
rode  at  a  rapid  pace  along  its  rear  to  the  point  of  begin 
ning.  He  then,  with  his  attendants,  took  a  position  on  a 
slight  elevation  of  ground  at  a  distance  from  the  line, 
when  the  whole  division,  in  column,  marching  to  the 
place,  passed  in  review  before  him,  and  the  pageant  was 
ended. 

An  important  change  in  the  command  of  our  corps 
occurred  about  this  time.  General  Smith,  who  had  so  long 
commanded  our  division,  and  for  some  time  past  our  Sixth 
corps,  was  relieved  of  his  command,  and  ordered  to  the 
department  of  North  Carolina.  His  successor  was  General 
John  Sedgwick,  then  well  known  as  one  of  our  best  divi 
sion  commanders,  and  one  of  the  sternest  soldiers  in  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  Bred  as  a  soldier,  he  had  served 
with  great  distinction  in  Mexico,  and  at  the  breaking  out 
of  the  rebellion  he  had  joined  the  Union  army,  and  was 
soon  placed  in  command  of  a  division  in  Sumner's  corps, 
which,  under  his  command,  became  the  best  division  of 
the  corps,  as  the  Sixth  corps  became  the  best  in  the  army. 
Modest  and  retiring  in  his  ordinary  intercourse  with  his 
fellows,  he  exhibited  the  most  brilliant  qualities  in  time  of 
battle.  The  dignity  of  his  bearing  fitted  him  to  command, 
and  he  needed  not  the  insignia  of  rank  to  command  the 
deference  of  those  about  him. 

None  who  witnessed  the  farewell  reception  of  General 
Smith,  will  forget  the  scene  at  corps  head-quarters.  The 
two  generals,  the  old  and  loved  leader  of  the  Second  divi 
sion  and  of  the  corps,  and  the  new  commander,  stood  side 
by  side.  General  Smith,  tall,  well  dressed,  his  regulation 
coat  buttoned  closely  about  him,  his  easy  and  graceful 
manner  and  conversation ;  General  Sedgwick,  of  stouter 


REVIEW   BY   PRESIDENT   LINCOLN.  187 

build,  wearing  a  loose  blouse  and  coarse  blue  pants,  such 
as  are  furnished  the  private  soldier,  strong  and  manly  in 
his  appearance,  and  somewhat  abrupt  in  his  manner. 
Officers  returned  to  their  camps  satisfied  that  although 
the  corps  had  lost  a  favorite  commander,  it  had  also 
gained  a  brave  leader. 

One  of  the  grand  events  of  the  winter  was  the  review 
of  the  whole  army  by  President  Lincoln.  The  review  con 
tinued  two  days.  The  first  was  occupied  in  reviewing 
the  Second,  Fifth,  Sixth  and  Third  corps ;  the  second  of  the 
remaining  corps.  It  was  a  most  imposing  spectacle,  never 
to  be  forgotten  by  those  who  were  actors  or  spectators. 
The  President,  in  his  civilian's  dress  and  tall  hat,  accom 
panied  by  General  Hooker,  and  followed  by  an  immense 
suite,  was  welcomed  by  the  thundering  of  artillery  as  it 
fired  the  national  salute.  The  different  corps  were  drawn 
up  in  line,  each  occupying  a  plain  within  sight  of  the 
others.  Riding  in  front  of  the  corps,  the  President  and 
the  immense  cavalcade  passed  along  the  whole  line, 
inspecting  carefully  each  regiment,  then  returned  in  the 
rear.  This  inspection  over,  the  President  and  staff  sta 
tioned  themselves  in  some  favorable  position,  and  the 
whole  corps  passed  in  review  before  him.  The  same  pro 
cess  was  repeated  with  each  corps. 

How  one  unaccustomed  to  such  physical  fatigues  could 
endure  such  labor,  commencing  early  in  the  morning  and 
only  resting  at  dark,  was  a  wonder.  It  seemed  as  if  the 
President's  physical,  like  his  mental  constitution,  could 
bear  up  under  the  most  trying  and  continued  labors.  As 
the  warm  weather  of  spring  appeared,  the  men  adorned 
their  camps  with  evergreen  trees  and  beautiful  arches,  so 
that  the  camps  presented  a  pleasant  appearance ;  but  we 
had  little  time  to  enjoy  these,  for  as  soon  as  the  roads 
began  to  be  passable,  preparations  were  pushed  forward 
for  the  spring  campaign. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  CHANCELLORSVILLE  CAMPAIGN. 

Orders  to  move  — The  river  crossed  — Sedgwick's  command  —  The  First  corps  with 
drawn—Gallant  conduct  of  the  Light  division— Advancing  to  the  heights— The 
line  of  battle— The  columns  of  attack  —  Attack  of  Howe's  columns  — Of  New 
ton's  column  — Of  Burnham's  — Misfortune  following  victory  — Fight  of  Bartlett's 
brigade  — The  First  division  at  work  — A  critical  position  — The  Sixth  corps 
surrounded— Savage  fight  of  Neill's  brigade— The  corps  withdraws  to  Banks' 
Ford— Becrosses  the  river  — Hooker's  operations  on  the  right— Position  of  the 
corps  — Bout  of  the  Eleventh  corps  — The  rebels  repulsed  —  Jackson  renews 
the  attack— The  rebels  again  repulsed— Hooker  recrosses  the  river. 

ON  Tuesday,  the  28th  of  April,  the  Sixth  corps  received 
orders  to  break  up  its  camp  and  be  ready  to  inarch  at  a 
moment's  notice.  Eight  days'  rations  had  been  issued  to  the 
men,  who  were  in  the  highest  spirits,  having  forgotten  all 
their  former  discouragements,  and  were  now  only  anxious 
for  an  encounter  with  the  enemy.  A  storm  of  rain  of  some 
violence  set  in  on  the  morning  of  the  28th,  which  rendered 
marching  difficult.  At  twelve  o'clock  we  received  the  order 
to  "  fall  in,"  and  in  five  minutes  we  were  on  our  way  to 
take  our  place  in  the  line  of  battle.  A  march  of  six  miles 
through  thickets  and  bogs,  brought  us  to  the  rear  of  Fal- 
mouth  Station,  at  a  short  distance  from  the  river.  Here  we 
bivouacked  for  the  night,  and  were  awakened  before  day 
light  in  the  morning  by  the  sound  of  artillery  and 
musketry  at  the  river,  where  Russell's  brigade,  of  the  First 
division,  was  forcing  a  passage  across  the  stream.  The 
Second  division  only  had  been  allowed  to  rest  quietly 
during  the  night.  The  men  of  the  Light  brigade  had 
toiled  from  dark  until  nearly  dawn,  carrying  the  pontoon 
boats  on  their  shoulders  to  the  river  side,  and  launching 
them  in  the  stream.  So  noiselessly  had  they  conducted 


THE  RIVER  CROSSED.  189 

their  operations,  that  the  pickets  of  the  enemy  took  no 
alarm  until  they  suddenly  saw  the  braves  of  Russell's 
brigade  approaching  in  the  boats,  just  as  dawn  was  break 
ing.  The  astonished  confederates  fired  a  few  volleys  of 
musketry,  and  our  guns  threw  among  them  a  few  charges 
of  cannister,  and  the  rebels  fled  precipitately.  A  number  of 
prisoners  were  captured,  among  them  the  officer  of  the 
picket-guard.  Colonel  Irwin,  of  the  Forty-ninth  Pennsyl 
vania,  who  had,  at  Antietam,  commanded  the  Third 
brigade  of  the  Second  division,  was  among  the  wounded 
on  our  side. 

At  sunrise  the  Second  division  filed  down  to  the  river  side, 
and  took  position  in  line  of  battle.  Our  horses  cropped 
the  green  blades  which  had  sprung  from  the  grain  scat 
tered  for  their  food  nearly  five  months  before.  The  division 
was  upon  the  very  spot  where  it  lay  before,  at  the  first 
battle  of  Fredericksburgh.  The  bridge  also  was  in  the 
same  place  that  Franklin's  bridge  had  been.  The  point 
was  known  as  Franklin's  Crossing. 

The  First  division  of  our  corps  (Brook's)  was  on  the 
other  side  of  the  river,  holding  the  plain  for  some  distance. 
The  pickets  of  that  division  formed  the  half  of  a  circle  of 
about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  in  diameter,  the  center  being 
at  the  pontoon  bridge,  where  some  earthworks  were  thrown 
up.  At  our  left,  about  a  mile  down  the  river,  the  First 
corps  had  also  effected  a  crossing.  The  rebels  had  offered 
strong  resistance,  but  the  crossing  was  gallantly  accom 
plished  by  Wadsworth's  division  in  boats.  Like  the  First 
division  of  our  own  corps,  Wadsworth's  division  was 
holding  a  semi-circular  portion  of  the  plateau ;  but  being 
able  to  maintain  the  position  by  some  fighting. 

Sickles'  Third  corps  was  upon  the  high  ground  in  the  rear, 
ready  to  come  to  the  assistance  of  the  corps  at  the  river. 
The  three  corps,  First,  Third  and  Sixth,  were  under  com 
mand  of  General  Sedgwick. 


190  GENERAL  HOOKER'S  ORDER. 

The  rebels  spent  the  day  in  throwing  up  intrenchments 
and  shelling  Reynolds'  position.  Toward  night  the  artil 
lery  practice  ceased,  and  the  First  and  Sixth  corps 
bivouacked  where  they  had  stood  during  the  day,  but 
Sickles  and  his  corps  were  ordered  to  the  assistance  of 
Hooker,  on  the  right. 

The  morning  of  the  30th  was  lowery,  but  the  clouds 
dispersed  as  the  day  advanced.  About  noon  the  troops 
were  massed  by  brigades,  and  a  congratulatory  order  from 
General  Hooker  was  read  to  them,  amid  great  cheering. 
"The  enemy,"  said  the  order,  "must  now  come  out  and 
fight  us  on  our  ground,  or  retreat  ingloriously."  Nothing 
more  of  interest  occurred  that  day ;  but,  in  the  afternoon 
of  the  following  day,  the  First  corps  became  engaged  in  a 
fierce  artillery  duel  with  the  enemy,  in  which  the  corps 
lost  a  large  number  of  its  men  in  killed  and  wounded.  At 
sunset  an  order  came  from  General  Hooker,  at  Chancellors- 
ville,  for  General  Sedgwick  to  assume  a  threatening  atti 
tude — to  make  a  severe  demonstration — but  to  make  no 
attack.  There  was  much  marching  and  getting  into 
position,  and  regiments  and  divisions  were  marched  and 
countermarched  in  such  a  manner  as  to  convey  to  the 
rebels  the  impression  that  a  grand  attack  was  to  be  made 
at  that  point.  The  enemy  was  evidently  deceived  by  these 
maneuvers,  and  heavy  columns  of  rebel  infantry  com 
menced  to  form  upon  the  old  battle-field.  While  we  stood 
in  line  of  battle,  one  of  our  bands  near  the  skirmish  line 
struck  up  the  air,  "  Dixie."  The  rebels,  hearing  the  strains, 
set  up  defiant  cheers,  which  were  answered  by  our  army  in 
the  most  tremendous  shouts  imaginable.  The  contest 
seemed  for  the  time  to  depend  on  strength  of  lung,  and 
our  boys  certainly  beat  them  at  shouting. 

As  the  sun  disappeared  behind  the  hills,  when  Hooker's 
guns  were  thundering,  we  retired  to  our  tents.  All  day 
long  the  earth  had  been  shaken  by  tremendous  firing 


THE    FIRST   CORPS    WITHDRAWN.  191 

of  artillery  on  the  right ;  and  now,  as  darkness  gathered 
over  the  scenes  of  conflict,  the  thundering  of  the  guns 
and  the  trembling  of  the  earth  seemed  like  a  succession  of 
earthquakes.  The  spirit  of  our  boys  rose,  as  the  battle  on 
the  right  progressed,  and  .there  seemed  to  be  indications 
of  work  for  them.  Groups  might  be  seen  at  any  time, 
when  we  were  not  standing  in  line  of  battle,  telling  yarns, 
singing  songs,  playing  ball  and  pitching  quoits,  while  they 
momentarily  looked  for  the  order  to  advance  upon  the 
heights,  into  the  very  jaws  of  death. 

Saturday  morning,  May  2d,  the  First  corps  was  with 
drawn  from  its  position ;  its  bridges  were  taken  up,  and 
the  corps  moved  past  us  up  the  river  to  join  the  main  body 
of  the  army  under  Hooker,  on  the  right.  The  Seventy- 
seventh  was  sent  to  do  picket  duty  on  the  ground  occupied 
by  the  First  corps  the  night  before.  Our  reserve  was 
posted  a  little  way  from  the  river,  in  a  pleasant  field,  where 
the  fresh  clover  furnished  a  soft  bed  for  the  men,  and  a 
dainty  bite  for  our  horses.  Just  in  front  of  us  was  a  lovely 
spot — the  residence  of  Doctor  Morson,  for  fifteen  years  a 
surgeon  in  the  United  States  navy.  The  place  was  in 
remarkable  order ;  the  gardens  in  full  bloom,  the  mocking 
birds  building  their  nests,  and  the  greenlets  warbling 
sweetly  among  the  flowering  shrubs. 

We  strolled  along  the  banks  of  the  beautiful  river, 
gathering  flowers  and  glancing  at  our  "secesh"  neigh 
bors  on  the  opposite  bank,  only  a  few  yards  distant ; 
or  we  lounged  in  the  shade  of  our  tents,  enjoying  the 
charms  of  a  lovely  May  day,  while  the  terrible  din  of 
battle  on  the  right,  where  Hooker's  forces  were  contend 
ing,  shook  the  ground  beneath  us,  and  we  knew  that  ere 
the  sun  set,  thousands  of  our  brave  comrades  must  be 
sacrificed. 

As  the  evening  drew  near,  we  who  were  on  the  north 
side  of  the  river  saw  our  skirmishers,  of  the  "  Light  divi- 


192  GALLANTKY    OF  THE   LIGHT   DIVISION. 

sion,"  drive  back  the  skirmish  line  of  the  enemy.  It  was 
a  gallant  feat,  and  finely  executed.  Our  hearts  leaped 
for  joy  as  we  watched  our  brave  fellows,  their  line  as  per 
fect  as  though  on  drill,  advance,  firing  rapidly,  and  pressing 
the  enemy  at  "  double-quick."  They  made  no  halt  until 
they  had  crossed  the  whole  breadth  of  the  plain  and 
reached  the  base  of  the  hills. 

Few  who  were  then  in  the  Sixth  corps  will  ever  forget 
that  scene.  The  sun,  just  sinking  behind  the  hills  where 
Hooker  was  at  work,  threw  a  beautiful  golden  light  over 
the  plain,  and  crowned  the  heights  with  brilliant  hues.  It 
was  one  of  those  evenings  of  surpassing  loveliness,  such  as 
gladdened  our  hearts  only  at  long  intervals.  Prominent  in 
the  foreground  of  the  beautiful  scene  was  a  noble  white 
steed,  with  its  gallant  rider,  dashing  from  one  end  of  the 
skirmish  line  to  the  other.  None  who  witnessed  the  spec 
tacle  will  forget  the  white  horse  and  the  fearless  rider;  and 
few  of  the  Second  or  Light  divisions  need  be  reminded  that 
the  horseman  was  Colonel  Baker,  of  the  Forty-third  New 
York,  who  was  then  in  charge  of  the  skirmish  line. 

The  "Light  division"  was,  as  we  have  before  stated, 
the  First  brigade  of  our  Second  division,  with  regiments 
from  the  First  and  Third  divisions  which  had  been,  a  short 
time  before  leaving  camp,  detached  to  form  ?,n  independent 
organization.  The  arrangement  was  broken  up  immedi 
ately  after  this  battle,  and  the  regiments  put  in  the  First 
and  Second  divisions  again. 

Immediately  after  the  brilliant  advance  of  the  "  Light 
division,"  the  Seventy-seventh  regiment  was  ordered  to 
leave  the  picket  line  and  join  its  brigade.  The  Second 
division  crossed  the  river  and  took  position,  the  Third  bri 
gade  in  front,  the  Vermont  brigade  in  rear.  The  Thirty 
third  and  Forty-ninth  New  York,  of  the  Third  brigade, 
went  forward  as  pickets  in  front  of  the  hills,  relieving 
pickets  of  the  "  Light  division,"  which  moved  to  the  right. 


ADVANCING   TOWARD   THE    HEIGHTS.  193 

"We  remained  in  line  all  night,  sometimes  throwing  our 
selves  upon  the  ground  to  catch  a  moment's  sleep,  then 
roused  in  expectancy  of  an  advance. 

At  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  did  advance.  Straight 
across  the  plain  we  went,  until  we  came  nearly  to  the  base 
of  the  heights,  where  the  hosts  of  the  enemy  awaited  us, 
then  taking  the  Bowling  Green  road,  filed  to  the  right  and 
proceeded  to  the  rear  of  Fredericksburgh ;  the  Seventy- 
seventh  in  front,  the  Twenty-first  New  Jersey,  the  Forty- 
ninth  New  York,  Twentieth  New  York,  Seventh  Maine 
and  Thirty-third  New  York,  constituting  the  Third  bri 
gade,  under  command  of  General  Neill,  following  in 
the  order  mentioned.  Then  came  the  Vermont  brigade, 
Colonel  L.  A.  Grant  commanding;  these  two  brigades 
forming  the  whole  of  Howe's  (Second)  division  of  the 
Sixth  corps  since  the  First  brigade  was  detached. 

As  we  gained  the  rear  of  the  eastern  part  of  the  town, 
the  batteries  of  the  enemy  opened  upon  us,  and  swarms 
of  infantry  rose  up  in  our  front  and  poured  volleys  of 
bullets  into  our  ranks.  The  "  Light  division  "  and  New 
ton's  Third  division  of  our  corps  had  passed  through  the 
streets  of  the  town,  and  were  now  on  our  right.  The 
skirmishers  from  Wheaton's  and  Shaler's  brigades  had 
struck  those  of  the  enemy  near  a  large  mansion,  where, 
each  party  dodging  behind  the  garden  fence,  the  cherry 
trees  and  the  outhouses,  they  kept  up  a  lively  engage 
ment  for  several  minutes,  but  Newton's  advance  was 
forced  to  yield  the  ground. 

In  the  meantime,  the  long  line  of  rifled  cannon  which 
surmounted  Stafford  Heights,  on  the  north  side  of  the 
river,  as  at  the  first  battle  of  Fredericksburgh,  were  throw 
ing  huge  shells  across  the  wide  valley  and  stream  into  the 
works  of  the  enemy.  One  or  two  field  batteries  near  the 
head  of  our  own  column,  and  some  attached  to  the  other 
divisions,  got  into  position  and  opened  a  fierce  cannonade. 
25 


194  THE  COLUMNS  OF  ATTACK. 

General  Howe  quickly  formed  his  troops  in  line,  as  did 
the  other  division  commanders. 

The  line  of  battle  of  the  corps  extended  from  the  pon 
toon  bridge  at  Franklin's  Crossing  to  the  right  of  the 
town  of  Fredericksburgh.  First,  on  the  left,  Brooks' 
division  held  the  plain  in  front  of  the  crossing.  Next,  on 
the  right,  in  front  of  Marye's  Heights,  was  Howe's  Second 
division ;  then  the  "  Light  division,"  Colonel  Burnham ; 
and  on  the  extreme  right  was  Newton's  Third  division. 
Gibbon's  division  of  the  Second  corps,  which,  because  its 
encampment  was  in  plain  view  of  the  enemy,  had  been 
left  behind,  also  crossed  into  the  town  by  a  bridge  which 
it  threw  over,  and  took  position  on  the  right  of  the  corps. 

General  Sedgwick,  finding  that  the  heights  could  only 
be  carried  by  direct  assault,  directed  storming  columns  to 
be  formed  in  the  Second  and  Third  divisions  and  the  Light 
division,  which  order  was  at  once  carried  into  execution. 

In  the  Second  division,  General  Howe  directed  General 
Neill  to  lead  the  advance.  The  plan  of  attack  of  the 
division  was  in  two  lines  of  battle  of  three  regiments  each. 

The  first  line  consisted  of  the  Thirty-third  New  York, 
Colonel  Taylor,  the  Seventh  Maine,  Colonel  Connor,  and 
the  Twenty-first  New  Jersey,  Colonel  Van  Houten,  pre 
ceded  by  the  Seventy-seventh  New  York,  Colonel  French, 
as  skirmishers.  The  line  was  commanded  by  General 
Neill.*  The  second  line  consisted  of  the  Sixth  Vermont, 
Colonel  Barney,  the  Twenty-sixth  New  Jersey,  Colonel 
Morrison,  and  the  Second  Vermont,  Colonel  Walbridge, 
and  was  under  command  of  Colonel  L.  A.  Grant.  Both 
lines  were  arranged  from  right  to  left,  in  the  order  above 
mentioned. 


*  "I  was  ordered  to  form  three  regiments  as  the  advance  of  a  column  of  assault 
against  the  heights  of  Marye's  Hill,  back  of  Fredericksburgh.  I  led  the  Thirty- 
third  New  York,  Twenty-first  New  Jersey  and  Seventh  Maine  Volunteers,  pre 
ceded  by  the  Seventy-seventh  New  York,  who  were  acting  as  skirmishers,  under 
a  heavy  fire  of  shot  and  shell."— NeUVs  Report. 


195 

The  Forty-ninth  and  Twentieth  New  York  formed  the 
right  reserve,  and  the  Third,  Fourth  and  Fifth  Vermont, 
under  ColoneJ.  Seavor,  the  left  reserve. 

The  next  column  was  composed  of  the  Seventh  Massa 
chusetts,  Colonel  Jones,  and  the  Thirty-sixth  New  York, 
Colonel  Walsh ;  both  under  the  command  of  Colonel 
Jones  —  the  Fifth  Wisconsin,  Colonel  Allen,  acting  as 
skirmishers.  Supporting  the  column,  in  line  of  battle, 
were  the  Sixth  Maine,  Colonel  Harris,  Thirty-first  New 
York,  Colonel  Jones,  and  the  Twenty-third  Pennsylvania, 
Colonel  Ely. 

The  right  column  of  all  consisted  of  the  Forty-third  New 
York,  Colonel  Baker,  and  the  Sixty-first  Pennsylvania, 
Colonel  Spear  —  the  two  regiments  under  command  of 
the  latter  officer,  who  fell,  mortally  wounded,  while  lead 
ing  the  charge.  The  Sixty-seventh  New  York,  Colonel 
Cross,  and  the  Eighty-second  Pennsylvania,  Major  Bassett, 
under  command  of  Colonel  Shaler,  supported  this  right 
column. 

At  half-past  ten,  the  arrangements  for  storming  the 
heights  were  completed,  and  Newton's  batteries  opened 
upon  the  enemy.  At  the  sound  of  Newton's  first  gun, 
General  Howe  ordered  his  batteries  to  direct  their  fire 
upon  the  heights,  and  then  ordered  the  storming  column 
forward. 

The  division  advanced  toward  the  bold  bluffs,  which, 
bare  of  trees  as  well  as  the  plain  below,  allowed  the 
enemy  an  excellent  view  of  all  our  movements.  A  rail 
road  traversed  the  plain  near  the  bluffs,  and  in  a  deep  cut 
through  which  the  road  passed,  were  rebels.  They  rose 
up  as  we  advanced,  and  poured  showers  of  leaden  hail  into 
our  line ;  but  one  of  our  batteries,  getting  an  enfilading 
fire  on  the  road,  sent  the  gray-coated  occupants  hurriedly 
to  the  rear.  For  a  moment  we  halted,  the  batteries  on 
either  side  playing  into  each  other  with  spirit. 


196  A   GRAND   SPECTACLE. 

It  was  a  moment  of  contending  emotions  of  pride,  hope 
and  sadness,  as  our  gallant  boys  stood  face  to  face  with 
those  heights,  ready  to  charge  upon  them.  At  double-quick, 
and  in  splendid  style,  they  crossed  the  plain.  Our  line  was 
perfect.  The  men  could  not  have  made  a  more  orderly 
appearance  had  they  been  on  drill.  Proud  of  their  com 
mands,  Generals  Howe  and  Neill,  and  Colonel  Grant, 
cheered  the  men  onward,  while  Lieutenant-Colonel  French, 
in  charge  of  the  skirmish  line,  inspired,  by  his  own  intrepid 
behavior,  the  utmost  confidence  and  bravery  in  his  men. 
They  took  the  matter  as  coolly  as  though  on  parade. 

Just  in  rear  of  the  division,  three  batteries  of  Parrott  guns 
were  playing  into  the  works  of  the  enemy,  while  from  the 
heights  above,  all  the  opposing  batteries  poured  a  terrible 
and  destructive  fire  upon  the  advancing  lines.  Having 
gained  the  rifle  pits  at  the  base  of  the  hills,  they  pushed 
forward  to  capture  the  heights. 

A  more  grand  spectacle  cannot  be  imagined.  There 
were  the  hills,  enough  to  fatigue  any  man  to  climb  them 
without  a  load  and  with  no  one  to  oppose.  At  the  foot 
of  the  hills  were  thousands  of  the  enemy,  pouring  into  them 
volleys  of  musketry,  and  on  the  heights  were  their  lines 
of  earthworks,  with  their  artillery,  from  which  poured 
grape  and  cannister  in  a  frightful  storm.  But  the  boys 
pushed  nobly,  steadily  on,  the  rebels  steadily  retreating, 
the  division  coming  up  in  splendid  style.  Generals  Howe 
and  Neill  and  Colonel  Grant  directing  the  movements  and 
cheering  on  the  men,  as  they  pressed  undauntedly  against 
the  murderous  storm  of  iron  and  lead  that  met  them  from 
above.  Our  men  were  falling  in  every  direction,  but  the 
lines  were  immediately  closed,  and  on  they  passed.  With 
shouts  and  cheers  that  drowned  the  roar  of  artillery,  the 
noble  division,  with  bayonets  fixed,  mounted  the  heights, 
the  rebels  retreating  in  confusion.  Of  that  noble  column 
the  skirmishers  of  the  Seventy-seventh  first  reached  the 


INCIDENTS    OP    THE    CHARGE.  197 

heights  of  Marye's  Hill,  the  Thirty-third  New  York,  in  line 
of  battle,  followed,  and  then  the  Sixth  Vermont,*  the 
other  regiments  of  the  two  brigades  being  but  a  moment 
behind.  But  the  work  was  not  all  done  yet.  On  our  left 
was  an  earthwork  of  strong  profile,  from  which  now  the 
rebels  turned  their  guns  upon  us.  Against  this  the  column 
turned,  and  soon  gained  possession  of  it  also.  A  third 
stronghold  then  fell  into  our  hands,  and  we  were  in  undis 
puted  possession  of  the  heights.  While  the  troops  under 
Neill  and  Grant  had  thus  nobly  stormed  the  works  in 
front,  Colonel  Seaver,  with  his  three  regiments,  had  scaled 
the  heights  further  to  the  left. 

With  one  or  two  exceptions,  every  regiment  in  the  divi 
sion  had  behaved  with  great  gallantry. 

The  Seventy-seventh  New  York  captured  a  stand  of 
colors  belonging  to  the  Eighteenth  Mississippi  regiment, 
two  heavy  guns,  a  large  number  of  prisoners,  among 
whom  was  Colonel  Luce  of  the  Eighteenth  Mississippi, 
and  great  numbers  of  small  arms. 

As  the  regiment  reached  the  heights,  and  took  posses 
sion  of  the  guns,  General  Howe  rode  up,  and,  taking  off 
his  hat,  exclaimed :  "  Noble  Seventy-seventh !  you  have 
covered  yourselves  with  glory!"  The  general's  words 
were  greeted  with  tumultuous  cheers. 

In  the  second  work,  the  Thirty-third  New  York  cap 
tured  a  piece  of  heavy  ordnance  and  a  number  of  prisoners. 
The  regiment  had  exhibited  great  spirit  and  bravery.  Six 
color-bearers  had  been  shot  down  successively. 

It  was  at  the  signal  of  the  first  gun  in  Newton's  front  that 
General  Howe  had  ordered  the  charge  of  the  Second  divi- 


*  General  L.  A.  Grant,  in  his  report,  does  unintentional  injustice  to  a  brave  regi 
ment.  He  says :  "  The  Sixth  Vermont  followed  the  Thirty-third  New  York,  and 
ivas  the  second  to  gain  the  heights  of  Fredericksburgh."  The  Thirty-third  was  not 
the  first  to  gain  the  heights  on  that  part  of  the  line.  The  testimony  of  General  Neill, 
as  well  as  of  the  members  of  the  regiment,  and  the  many  trophies  it  captured,  fully 
establish,  the  claim  of  the  Seventy-seventh  to  the  honor. 


198  CHAKGE    OF   NEWTO^S    COLUMN. 

sion.  The  Third  division  and  the  Light  division  had  not 
been  idle  while  the  events  we  have  described  were  going 
on.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  column  on  the  right 
consisted  of  the  Forty-third  New  York  and  the  Sixty-first 
Pennsylvania,  supported  by  a  line  of  battle;  and  that  the 
other  column  consisted  of  the  Seventh  Massachusetts  and 
Thirty-sixth  New  York,  also  supported  by  other  regiments. 

The  ascent  in  front  of  the  Third  and  Light  divisions, 
though  steep,  was  less  precipitous  than  in  front  of  Howe's 
column,  and  a  good  road  led  to  the  heights.  But  a  stone 
wall  skirted  the  base  of  the  hills,  behind  which  the  rebels 
swarmed  in  great  numbers. 

Under  the  fire  of  the  rebel  batteries,  Newton's  and  Burn- 
ham's  regiments  lay,  some  in  the  outskirts  of  the  town, 
some  in  the  cemetery,  until  General  Sedgwick  gave  the 
order  for  the  advance.  Then,  almost  at  the  same  time, 
both  commands  moved  up  the  glacis  towards  the  heights. 
Colonel  Jones,  with  his  two  regiments,  the  Seventh  Massa 
chusetts  and  Thirty-sixth  New  York,  pushed  forward  up 
the  telegraph  road,  against  the  stone  wall,  bearing  to  the 
right  of  the  road;  their  knapsacks  and  haversacks  were 
left  behind  that  they  might  be  unincumbered  with  need 
less  burdens.  As  they  approached  within  three  hundred 
yards  of  the  wall,  a  murderous  volley  checked  the  advance, 
and  threw  the  head  of  the  column  into  disorder.  In  two 
minutes  the  men  were  rallied,  and  again  they  approached 
the  wall,  this  time  nearer  than  before;  but  again  they  were 
broken.  A  third  time  they  were  rallied;  this  time  they 
pushed  straight  forward  to  the  works. 

The  column  under  Colonel  Spear  started  briskly  forward, 
divested,  like  the  others,  of  knapsacks  and  haversacks. 
Sallying  from  the  town  at  double  quick,  in  column  of  four 
ranks,  they  crossed  the  bridge  just  outside  the  city,  when 
the  gallant  Colonel  Spear  received  his  mortal  wound,  and 
fell  at  the  head  of  his  men.  The  Sixty-first,  which  led  the 


199 

column,  shocked  at  the  death  of  their  beloved  leader,  broke, 
and  in  confusion  turned  toward  the  town.  This  unfortu 
nate  confusion  spread  to  the  men  of  the  Forty-third,  who, 
checked  by  the  disordered  mass  in  front,  and  submitted  to 
a  galling  fire,  also  commenced  falling  back.  Finding  any 
attempt  to  get  the  men  through  the  disordered  mass  in 
front,  the  gallant  Wilson  drew  his  colors  to  the  right  and 
rallied  his  regiment  around  them.  Then,  bounding  for 
ward,  the  regiment  reached  the  heights  scarcely  behind 
any  of  the  regiments  on  the  left,  capturing  a  gun  and 
many  prisoners. 

The  line  of  battle  under  Colonel  Burnham  advanced  on 
the  left  of  the  road ;  the  Fifth  Wisconsin  on  the  skirmish 
line,  the  Sixth  Maine,  the  Thirty-first  New  York,  and  the 
Twenty-third  Pennsylvania  in  line.  Four  more  gallant 
regiments  could  not  be  found  in  the  service.  Leaving 
everything  but  guns  and  ammunition,  they  started  forward, 
encountering  a  shower  of  bullets,  grape  and  canister, 
as  soon  as  they  rose  above  the  slight  knoll  which  had 
concealed  them.  We  of  the  Second  division  looked  with 
admiration  upon  the  advancing  line;  our  flag  —  it  was  the 
flag  of  the  Sixth  Maine  —  in  advance  of  the  others,  its 
brave  color-guard  bounding  forward,  then  halting  a  moment 
while  the  men  came  up,  then  dashing  forward  again,  and 
finally  gaming  the  heights  before  us  all !  It  was  a  noble 
spectacle,  and  filled  our. hearts  with  pride  for  our  brave 
comrades  of  the  Light  division.  The  Light  division  secured 
as  trophies  about  seven  hundred  prisoners  and  five  cannon. 

Thus  the  heights  were  won.  It  was  a  glorious  day  for 
the  Sixth  corps.  Never  was  a  charge  more  gallantly 
made.  But  it  was  a  sad  day,  for  many  scores  of  our 
brave  comrades  lay  stretched  in  death,  along  the  glacis, 
and  on  the  steep  ascent,  in  the  ravines  and  along  the  road. 

The  Seventh  Massachusetts,  the  Sixth  Maine,  the  Fifth 
Wisconsin,  the  Second  Vermont,  and  the  Seventy-seventh, 


200  MISFORTUNE   FOLLOWING   VICTORY. 

Thirty-third  and  Forty-third  New  York,  were  among  the 
greatest  losers.  The  Sixth  Maine  reached  the  rebel  works 
with  the  loss  of  six  captains  and  the  major,  and  a  propor 
tional  number  of  enlisted  men.  Two  color-bearers  and 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Newman  were  shot  in  the  Thirty-first, 
and  Colonel  Jones,  of  the  Seventh  Massachusetts,  was 
seriously  wounded,  while  one  hundred  and  twelve  of  his 
brave  men  were  either  killed  or  wounded. 

The  wounded  had  been  taken  to  the  city,  where  they 
were  kindly  cared  for  by  the  surgeons  of  the  corps,  who 
had  seized  the  town  for  hospital  purposes.  Churches  and 
private  dwellings  swarmed  with  the  unfortunate  men, 
whose  mangled  forms  told  of  the  fearful  work  of  the  day. 
Surgeons  were  hard  at  work  ministering  relief  to  the  suffer 
ing,  binding  up  the  wounds  or  removing  the  mangled 
limbs  which  offered  no  hope  of  recovery;  while  nurses 
administered  food  and  coffee,  and  prepared  beds,  such  as 
could  be  extemporized  from  blankets  spread  upon  the  floors. 
More  than  three  thousand  wounded  were  brought  into  the 
city  before  nightfall. 

Upon  the  very  heels  of  the  brilliant  success  of  the  corps 
commenced  disaster.  An  order  from  General  Hooker  had 
directed  .General  Sedgwick  to  advance  toward  Chancel 
lors  ville,  and  form  a  junction  with  the  main  army.  So 
the  corps  which  had  so  nobly  won  the  heights  pressed  on 
for  further  achievements.  The  heights  were  left  behind. 
Brooks'  division,  which  now  took  the  lead,  had  advanced 
as  far  as  Salem  Church,  on  the  Chancellorsville  pike,  when, 
instead  of  meeting  any  portion  of  Hooker's  army,  a  few 
shells  from  rebel  guns  warned  the  division  of  the  presence 
of  the  enemy. 

A  dense  thicket  was  in  front,  and  Bartlett's  brigade, 
which  had  the  advance,  was  deployed  to  skirmish  and 
ascertain  the  position  of  the  concealed  foe.  Presently, 
having  fallen  upon  a  strong  line  of  skirmishers,  the  bri- 


FIGHT  OF  BARTLETT'S  BRIGADE.  201 

gade  was  formed  in  line  of  battle;  the  Twenty-seventh 
New  York  on  the  right,  then  the  Fifth  Maine,  then  the 
One  Hundred  and  Twenty-first  New  York,  and  on  the 
left  the  Ninety-sixth  Pennsylvania;  the  Sixteenth  New 
York  holding  the  skirmish  line  in  front.  General  Bartlett 
advanced  his  line  to  the  thicket,  the  Sixteenth  driving  the 
rebel  skirmishers,  the  brigade  following  closely.  At 
the  edge  of  the  thicket  General  Bartlett  halted  the  line, 
but  being  ordered  by  General  Brooks  to  advance  rapidly, 
he  pushed  on  again. 

Advancing  through  the  thicket  about  thirty  rods,  the 
brigade  suddenly  found  itself  face  to  face  with  a  rebel 
line.  The  confederates  were  lying  down  in  a  road  which 
traversed  the  thicket ;  and,  when  the  Union  line  was  within 
twenty  yards,  they  suddenly  discharged  a  volley,  which, 
had  it  been  well  aimed,  must  have  almost  annihilated  the 
brigade ;  but  the  fire  was  returned  with  effect,  and  pres 
ently,  the  confederates  were  gjad  to  leave  the  road,  which 
was  almost  filled  with  their  dead  and  wounded,  and  seek 
shelter  behind  rifle  pits.  The  rifle  pits  were  but  a  few 
yards  in  rear  of  the  road,  and  here  a  very  strong  force 
was  posted.  The  Union  forces  occupied  the  road,  and 
directed  their  fire  against  the  works ;  but  the  rebel  fire 
cut  down  their  unprotected  ranks  like  grass  before  the 
scythe.  For  fifteen  minutes  the  gallant  regiments  endured 
this  murderous  fire,  and  then  fell  back  in  good  order,  hav 
ing  lost,  within  twenty  minutes,  nearly  seven  hundred 
men ;  of  whom  two  hundred  and  seventy-three  were  from 
the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-first  New  York. 

The  New  Jersey  brigade,  and  the  whole  division,  had 
by  this  time  been  brought  into  action,  and  great  slaughter 
was  made  in  almost  every  regiment.  Newton's  division 
was  also  fiercely  engaged  on  the  right,  Wheaton's  brigade 
holding  its  position  only  by  the  most  stubborn  fighting. 
The  enemy  having  forced  the  First  division  to  retire, 
20 


202  REBELS    ON   MARYE's    HEIGHTS. 

advanced  against  our  line  ;  but  the  batteries  under  Willis- 
ton,  Rigby  and  Parsons,  by  splendid  practice,  repulsed  the 
onset.  The  Second  division,  forming  the  rear  of  the  col 
umn,  had  not  been  brought  into  the  engagement. 

Darkness  came  to  the  relief  of  the  corps,  and  the  men 
slept  soundly  on  their  arms  after  the  arduous  duties  of  the 
day ;  but  there  were  many  misgivings  among  officers  in 
regard  to  what  to-morrow  might  bring  forth. 

While  we  rested,  the  enemy  was  bringing  up  reinforce 
ments  from  the  direction  of  Richmond.  Very  early  in  the 
morning  the  siege  guns  on  Stafford  Heights,  opposite  the 
town,  sent  some  shells  screaming  across  the  valley  to 
the  heights  of  Marye's  Hill,  giving  the  alarm  to  those  in  the 
town  and  to  those  who  had  so  recently  left  it.  Lines  of 
rebels  were  seen  all  along  the  outskirts  of  the  town  and  on 
the  crests  above.  Fifteen  thousand  confederate  troops 
were  between  the  Sixth  corps  and  Fredericksburgh  Heights. 
The  surgeons  immediately  prepared  to  send  the  wounded 
across  the  river,  but,  supposing  that  to  accomplish  the 
whole  before  the  rebels  should  take  possession  of  the  town 
would  be  impossible,  made  every  preparation  for  being 
themselves  taken  prisoners.  A  small  detachment  of  Gib 
bon's  division  still  guarded  the  town,  but  nearly  all  his 
troops  had  recrossed  the  river  and  were  on  Stafford  Heights. 
But  the  small  force  in  the  town  seemed  sufficient  to  convey 
to  the  rebels  the  impression  that  it  was  well  guarded,  for 
they  made  no  attempt  to  seize  the  immense  amount  of 
hospital  stores  which  was  at  their  mercy,  or  to  molest  the 
wounded  or  the  surgeons. 

The  Sixth  corps  was  now  in  a  critical  position ;  its  com 
munications  entirely  cut  off,  and  surrounded  by  hosts  of 
the  enemy.  The  corps  was  sandwiched  between  the  rebels 
on  the  heights  and  Lee's  whole  army ;  while  on  its  left  was 
a  strong  force,  and  on  its  right  an  impassable  river.  Dis 
positions  were  at  once  made  to  meet  the  emergency. 


THE    SIXTH    CORPS    SURROUNDED.  203 

Brooks'  division  was  drawn  back,  and  Howe's,  still  in  the 
rear,  changed  front  and  quickly  extended  the  line  of  battle 
to  the  river,  so  as  to  include  Banks'  Ford,  six  miles  above 
the  city,  over  which  communications  were  at  once  estab 
lished. 

The  whole  of  Early's  rebel  division  occupied  the  crest 
of  Marye's  and  Cemetery  Hills ;  the  divisions  of 'Anderson 
and  McLaws  were  on  our  flank ;  and  the  brigades  of  Hays, 
Hoke  and  Lawton,  supported  by  Lee's  whole  army,  were 
in  our  rear.  We  were  in  the  vicinity  of  Salem  Church, 
and  our  only  line  of  retreat  was  upon  the  road  leading  to 
Banks'  Ford. 

The  first  demonstration  of  the  rebels,  on  the  morning  of 
the  4th,  was  against  the  position  held  by  Neill's  brigade. 
A  company  from  the  Seventh  Maine,  and  two  companies 
from  the  Forty-ninth  New  York,  in  conjunction  with  a 
part  of  Martin's  battery,  and  supported  by  the  remaining 
companies  of  the  Forty-ninth,  gallantly  repulsed  and 
routed  a  whole  brigade  of  rebels,  capturing  two  hundred 
prisoners,  and  the  colors  of  the  Fifty-eighth  Virginia 
regiment ;  which  last  trophy  was  borne  off  by  the  men  of 
the  Forty-ninth,  and  was  the  second  stand  of  colors  taken 
by  that  gallant  brigade  in  this  engagement,  the  Seventy- 
seventh  having  captured  the  other. 

The  day  wore  away  with  little  fighting  till  five  o'clock. 
General  Howe  had  so  disposed  his  troops  as  to  occupy  two 
positions. 

In  front  was  the  Third  brigade,  holding  a  crest  which 
overlooked  a  ravine  through  which  the  rebels  must  pass. 
Behind  the  brigade  was  another  ravine,  in  which  was  a 
thin  skirt  of  woods.  In  rear  of  this  second  ravine,  and 
behind  a  swell  of  ground,  the  Vermont  brigade  was 
strongly  posted,  forming  the  second  line  of  battle.  There 
were  in  each  of  these  two  brigades  about  three  thousand 
men. 


204  FIGHTING    OF   NEILL's   BRIGADE. 

Now  came  the  most  fearful  struggle  of  the  campaign. 
At  five  o'clock  the  rebel  hordes  came,  with  deafening  yells, 
upon  the  division.  The  divisions  of  Early,  Anderson  and 
McLaws  rushed  upon  the  single  brigade  of  less  than  three 
thousand  men,  massing  their  troops  in  the  ravine,  and 
charging  with  impetuous  fury.  But  the  noble  regiments 
heroically  withstood  the  shock,  the  Germans  of  the  Twen 
tieth  only  going  to  the  rear  in  confusion.  The  stubborn 
resistance  of  the  brigade  prevented  the  rebels  from  piercing 
our  lines,  and  cutting  off  our  retreat, -and  thus,  by  its  gal 
lantry,  enabled  the  corps  to  cross  at  Banks'  Ford.  But 
one  thousand  men  —  more  than  one-third  of  the  brigade  — 
fell  on  that  crest.  Colonel  Van  Houghton,  of  the  Twenty- 
first  New  Jersey,  was  mortally  wounded,  and  many  other 
choice  spirits  were  among  the  fallen.  General  Neill  was 
injured  by  the  fall  of  his  horse,  which  was  shot.  General 
Howe  now  ordered  the  brigade  to  fall  back,  and  the  deci 
mated  regiments  left  the  front  line,  and  fell  behind  the 
strong  position  held  by  the  Vermonters.  The  rebels, 
thinking  this  a  retreat,  folloAved  with  yells  of  exultation, 
but  were  met  by  the  second  line  of  battle,  which,  from  its 
position  behind  the  swell  of  ground,  was  concealed,  with 
a  murderous  fire,  which  sent  them  reeling  back  to  the 
cover  of  the  first  ravine.  Their  charge  had  inflicted  little 
damage  upon  the  Union  line.  It  was  now  nearly  dark,  and 
the  reception  which  the  rebels  had  received  had  so  com 
pletely  routed  and  broken  them,  that  they  made  no  further 
attempt  upon  our  lines. 

About  nine  o'clock,  the  division  was  ordered  to  fall  back 
to  Banks'  Ford,  now  two  miles  distant  from  us.  We  fell 
back  quietly,  and  found  that  the  other  divisions  had  pre 
ceded  us,  and  were  snugly  behind  rifle  pits.  They  had 
fallen  back  as  soon  as  it  was  dark,  leaving  the  Second 
division  to  cover  the  retreat. 

Meantime,  comparatively  little  fighting  had  been  done 


EECROSSING    THE    EIVEE.  205 

by  the  other  divisions,  though  a  constant  skirmish  was 
kept  up,  and  in  the  evening  the  confederates  managed  to 
get  in  the  rear  of  a  part  of  the  picket  of  the  Light  divi 
sion,  capturing  a  large  number  of  prisoners  from  the 
Forty-third  and  Thirty-first  New  York,  and  Sixty-first 
Pennsylvania. 

The  position  at  Banks'  Ford  might  have  been  held  until 
reinforcements  could  have  reached  the  corps  from  Hooker  ; 
but,  unfortunately,  that  general,  receiving  from  General 
Sedgwick  first,  intelligence  that  he  could  not  safely  hold 
the  position,  then  that  he  could,  ordered  the  corps  to  be 
withdrawn,  and  afterward  countermanded  the  order;  but 
the  last  order  was  only  received  when  the  movement  had 
been  accomplished. 

Toward  morning  the  corps  recrossed  the  Rappahannock 
on  pontoon  bridges ;  not  without  the  utmost  difficulty ; 
one  bridge  being  destroyed  by  rebel  artillery,  and  the 
other  barely  saved  from  destruction  long  enough  to  allow 
the  troops  hurriedly  to  pass  over. 

The  corps  had  passed  through  a  fearful  ordeal,  and  had 
shown  itself  to  be  made  of  heroic  material.  No  two  more 
brilliant  feats  had  been  performed  during  the  war,  than 
the  storming  of  the  heights  of  Fredericksburgh,  and  the 
splendid  resistance  when  surrounded  and  attacked  by 
overwhelming  forces.  The  men  came  out  of  the  fight,  not 
demoralized,  but  as  ready  to  scale  those  terrible  heights 
again,  if  called  upon,  as  they  had  been  on  the  3d  of  May. 

General  Sedgwick  had  manifested  during  the  fights, 
those  masterly  qualities  which  made  him  one  of  the 
greatest  soldiers  of  the  age.  His  conduct  on  the  retreat 
was  cool  and  unimpassioned.  Personally  examining  every 
part  of  the  ground  in  front  and  rear,  riding  from  one  end 
of  the  line  to  the  other,  now  ordering  a  battery  placed  at 
some  commanding  point,  and  now  looking  out  a  new 
position  to  which  his  troops  might  fall  back  in  case  of 


206  THE    DEAD    AND    WOUNDED. 

necessity,  he  was  everywhere  present,  full  of  energy,  as 
determined  to  save  as  he  had  been  to  win. 

Throughout  the  land  the  glorious  deeds  of  the  Sixth 
corps  became  household  words ;  but  its  glory  had  been 
dearly  purchased.  Five  thousand  of  the  heroes  who 
crossed  the  Rappahannock  on  the  2d  of  May,  were  either 
dead  or  wounded.  Colonel  Van  Houghton,  one  of  New 
Jersey's  bravest  sons,  had  received  a  mortal  wound,  from 
which  he  died  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  Captain  Luther 
M.  Wheeler,  of  the  Seventy-seventh,  was  shot  while  we 
halted  at  the  foot  of  Marye's  Hill.  It  was  a  sad  loss  to  his 
regiment,  and  the  corps.  Few  more  gifted  young  men 
could  be  found  in  the  army.  He  was  one  of  our  bravest 
and  most  efficient  officers.  Gentle  in  his  relations  with  his 
fellows,  cool  and  daring  in  battle ;  his  youthful  face 
beaming  with  fortitude,  was  a  continual  joy  to  his  men  in 
time  of  danger.  He  died  as  he  had  lived,  a  hero. 

The  Forty-third  had  lost  Captain  Knickerbocker  and 
Lieutenant  Koonz.  Two  young  men  of  brilliant  promise, 
greatly  loved  and  respected  in  their  regiment  and  in  their 
native  city,  Albany. 

The  wounded  men  in  the  hospitals  exhibited  the  same 
heroic  fortitude  in  their  sufferings  that  they  had  mani 
fested  in  the  charge  and  in  the  retreat.  A  few  instances 
are  given  as  illustrations  of  many :  Erskine  Branch  of 
Company  D,  Seventy-seventh  ~New  York,  when  his  leg  was 
torn  to  shreds  by  a  shell,  hobbled  off  on  the  sound  one  and 
his  gun,  singing  "  The  Star  Spangled  Banner."  Corporal 
Henry  West  was  shot  through  the  thigh,  and  he  was 
brought  to  the  rear.  "I  guess,"  said  he  "that  old  Joe 
West's  son  has  lost  a  leg."  The  corporal  died  soon  after. 
While  in  the  hospital,  suffering  from  extreme  anguish,  a 
wounded  man  at  his  side  lamented  that  he  had  come  to  the 
war.  "  I  am  not  sorry  that  I  came,"  instantly  responded 
the  brave  corporal. 


HOOKER'S  OPERATIONS  ox  THE  RIGHT.  .          207 

Let  us  now  turn  back  and  glance  hastily  at  the  maneu 
vers  of  the  main  army  at  Chancellorsville.  We,  of  the 
Sixth  corps,  could  only  see  by  the  balloon  which,  like 
some  huge  bird,  hovered  over  the  army,  where  it  held  its 
position,  and  the  unceasing  roar  of  artillery  told  us  of  a 
severe  struggle  with  its  foe ;  while  rumor  brought,  now 
reports  of  brilliant  success,  and  anon  tales  of  sad  defeat. 
We  knew  little  of  the  true  state  of  affairs  at  the  right, 
and  it  was  only  when  we  mingled  with  our  comrades  of 
the  other  corps  that  we  learned  the  details  of  the  battle 
of  Chancellorsville.  We  now  repeat  it  as  it  was  given  to 
us.  On  the  day  that  the  army  broke  up  its  winter  camp, 
General  Hooker  led  the  Fifth,  Eleventh,  Twelfth  and 
Second  corps,  except  Gibbon's  division  of  the  latter,  up 
the  river,  until  he  reached  Kelley's  Ford,  about  twenty 
miles  above  Fredericksburgh.  Here  he  crossed  his  whole 
force,  and  pushing  southward  and  eastward,  uncovered 
the  United  States  Ford  eight  miles  below,  which  was 
guarded  by  a  brigade  of  rebels,  and  struck  the  intersec 
tion  of  the  Gordon sville  plank  road  with  the  Orange 
county  turnpike,  about  five  miles  from  United  States 
Ford ;  having  by  great  exertions  crossed  two  rivers  and 
marched  twenty  miles.  At  the  crossing  of  the  two  roads, 
west  of  the  turnpike,  and  south  of  the  plank  road,  stood 
a  single  large  mansion,  the  Chancellor  house.  Here  Gen 
eral  Hooker  made  his  head-quarters,  and  from  this  point 
he  disposed  the  corps  of  the  army  so  as  to  form  a  line  of 
battle,  which  should  face  south  and  east,  with  a  single 
corps  to  guard  against  an  advance  from  the  west.  The 
Third  and  First  corps  soon  joined  Hooker's  forces,  and 
the  corps  were  posted  as  follows:  The  Eleventh  corps, 
under  General  Howard,  was  on  the  right  of  the  line,  three 
miles  southwest  of  Chancellorsville,  facing  westward : 

S  ? 

next,  to  the  left  of  Howard,  but  far  to  the  south,  and  hold 
ing  the  turnpike  five  miles  in  front  of  Chancellorsville,  was 


208  POSITION   AT   CHASTCELLORSVILLE. 

Sickles  with  his  Third  corps;  back  almost  to  the  plank 
road,  and  left  of  the  turnpike,  was  Slocum  with  the 
Twelfth  corps;  and  still  to  the  right,  and  behind  the  plank 
road,  the  Fifth  corps,  under  General  Meade,  faced  toward 
the  southwest;  behind  Meade  and  Slocum,  the  Second 
corps  was  posted,  one  division  guarding  the  approach  to 
the  bridge.  The  country  was  densely  wooded.  Except  an 
open  space  about  the  house,  it  was  a  tangled  wilderness. 
The  ground  was  low  and  marshy,  and  nearly  level.  Earth 
works  were  thrown  up  in  front  of  all  the  corps,  and 
everything  seemed  in  readiness  for  the  enemy,  for  whom 
General  Hooker  now  waited,  hoping,  that  by  fruitless 
assaults  upon  what  seemed  an  impregnable  position,  the 
enemy  would  be  so  exhausted  that  he  might  turn  upon 
him  with  fresh  divisions,  and  rout  the  retreating  forces. 
His  programme  was  to  secure  a  position  in  the  rear  of  the 
rebel  positions  at  the  fords,  while  that  portion  of  the  army 
left  at  Fredericksburgh  was  to  divert  attention  from  the 
principal  movement.  Stoneman,  with  the  cavalry,  was  to 
make  a  grand  raid  on  the  communications  of  the  rebel 
army,  burning  the  bridges  and  tearing  up  railroads.  The 
main  body  of  the  army  having  secured  its  position,  and 
accomplished  its  work,  the  Sixth  corps  was  to  press 
forward  and  harass  them  in  their  retreat  toward  Rich 
mond. 

Saturday  afternoon,  almost  at  dark,  the  First  corps, 
Reynolds',  which  had  that  morning  parted  company  with 
the  Sixth  corps,  crossed  the  river  and  took  position 
near  the  ford,  four  miles  in  rear  of  Howard. 

The  rebel  army  had  been  on  the  southeast  of  ours. 
Sickles,  on  the  afternoon  of  Saturday,  discovered  a  train  of 
wagons  and  ambulances  moving  across  the  pike  far  in  his 
front.  He  sent  a  force  to  cut  it  in  two,  and  was  success 
ful  in  taking  a  large  number  of  prisoners  and  in  creating 
a  panic  in  the  train.  He  advanced,  and  was  met  by  a 


ROUT   OF   THE   ELEVENTH    CORPS.  209 

strong  force  of  the  enemy.  He  now  sent  to  General 
Howard  for  reinforcements.  General  Howard  led  a  bri 
gade  to  his  assistance  in  person,  and  then  at  full  speed 
galloped  back  to  his  corps.  He  was  just  in  time.  Burst 
ing  shells  on  the  right  of  his  line  told  of  the  presence  of 
the  enemy.  "  Stonewall "  Jackson,  with  an  immense  force, 
had  passed  round  our  army,  and  now  came  like  an  ava 
lanche  upon  the  right  division  of  the  Eleventh  corps, 
General  Devins.  The  men  were  cooking  their  coffee, 
when  suddenly  the  whizzing  of  innumerable  bullets  aroused 
them  from  their  culinary  engagements.  The  hosts  of 
Jackson,  with  yells  and  shouts,  fell  like  a  thunderbolt  upon 
the  astonished  division,  and  it  melted  away  like  a  snow- 
flake  in  summer.  The  next  division,  Shurz,  tried  to 
maintain  the  ground,  and  did  what  men  could  do,  but 
could  not  withstand  the  shock  of  fifty  thousand  men. 
General  Hooker,  fearing  that  the  flying  Germans  would 
stampede  the  whole  army,  directed  the  cavalry  which  was 
with  him,  to  charge  upon  the  fugitives  and  arrest  their 
flight ;  but  no  power  could  halt  them.  The  commanding 
general  at  once  directed  General  Sickles  to  attack  the 
enemy  on  the  flank,  and,  if  possible,  check  his  farther 
advance. 

General  Howard,  with  great  presence  of  mind  and  per 
severance,  succeeded  in  stopping  the  rout  at  a  stone  wall, 
behind  which  he  posted  his  line.  Forty  pieces  of  artil 
lery  were  also,  by  General  Hooker's  order,  concentrated 
to  oppose  the  confederates,  who  again  rushed  forward  with 
mad  desperation,  and  were  met  with  terrific  fire  from  this 
long  line  of  guns.  They  staggered  back,  but  soon  rallied, 
and  again  charged,  and  again  met  with  a  terrible  repulse. 
The  conflict  now  ceased  for  the  night.  Hooker  drew  in 
his  lines,  making  them  more  compact,  changed  the  disposi 
tion  of  some  of  the  corps :  throwing  the  Eleventh  corps 
from  the  right  to  the  left  of  the  line,  and  bringing  Meade, 
27 


210  JACKSON'S  ATTACKS. 

with  the  Fifth  corps,  to  the  right.  Sickles  and  Slocum,  with 
the  Third  and  Twelfth  corps,  were  near  the  Chancellor 
house.  Artillery  was  massed  to  command  the  approaches 
to  the  turnpike,  and  earthworks  went  up  in  the  night  as  if 
by  magic.  At  daylight,  Sunday  morning,  Jackson,  with 
all  his  forces,  advanced  on  the  turnpike,  against  the  Chan 
cellor  place,  not  with  the  thin  line  of  battle,  but  in  solid 
mass.  His  men  poured  from  the  woods  like  a  torrent, 
their  shouts  and  yells  making  a  pandemonium  of  the  wil 
derness.  Suddenly,  from  the  mouths  of  forty  cannon  was 
hurled  against  them  a  cruel  storm  of  grape  and  canister, 
which  ploughed  through  the  advancing  column,  carrying 
death  and  destruction  in  its  course,  while  the  infantry 
from  the  Third  corps  poured  into  the  faces  of  the  despe 
rate  foe  a  terrible  hail  storm  of  bullets  which  almost 
decimated  the  heavy  column.  With  the  desperation  of 
madness,  the  rebels  rushed  against  this  terrible  fire,  almost 
reaching  the  muzzles  of  the  guns,  only  to  be  hurled  back 
again  by  the  fearful  tornado  in  front.  The  Third  corps 
seemed  hardly  able  to  hold  its  position,  but  now  General 
Hooker  sent  two  divisions  of  the  Second  corps  to  attack 
the  enemy  in  the  flank.  These,  with  the  Fifth  corps,  came 
with  great  force  upon  the  left  of  the  column.  It  reeled, 
the  huge  mass  wavered  to  and  fro,  and  then  fell  back  in 
flight.  The  troops  at  the  house,  however,  had  been  forced 
back,  and  General  Hooker  again  shortened  his  lines, 
making  his  forces  still  more  compact. 

Again,  in  the  afternoon,  the  rebels  came  on  exultingly, 
but  not  with  the  desperation  that  marked  the  attack  of 
the  morning.  Hour  after  hour  they  strove  to  drive  back 
or  break  in  two  the  Union  line,  but  it  was  immovable. 
Artillery  poured  into  the  ranks  of  the  assailants  the  most 
deadly  fire,  until  they  fell  back,  long  before  nightfall,  dis 
heartened  and  defeated.  Hooker  had  at  length  succeeded 
in  accomplishing  a  part  of  his  object.  He  had  allowed  his 


OUR   LOSSES.  211 

enemy  to  fight  him  until  his  army  was  exhausted  and  dis 
pirited,  while  he  himself  had  half  his  army  fresh  and  ready 
to  charge  upon  the  weakened  foe.  Now  came  the  time 
for  action.  If  he  now  succeeded  in  putting  the  enemy  to 
flight,  the  rebel  cause  was  destroyed ;  if,  on  the  contrary, 
he  suffered  a  repulse,  what  would  be  the  result  ?  The 
river  was  swelling  rapidly ;  the  pontoons  could  even  now 
with  difficulty  be  held  together.  If,  haply,  they  were  to 
be  swept  away,  all  means  of  retreat  would  be  cut  off,  and 
a  repulse  would  amount  to  annihilation.  Sedgwick  and  the 
Sixth  corps  were  driven  back,  and  Stoneman,  who  had  gone 
with  his  cavalry  toward  Richmond,  was  not  heard  from. 
In  the  midst  of  these  doubts,  he  called  a  council  of  corps 
commanders,  who  agreed,  not  unanimously,  that  it  was 
advisable  to  recross  the  river.  So  the  army,  on  Wed 
nesday,  was  withdrawn  across  the  river,  when  victory 
seemed  ready  to  rest  on  our  banners.*  Without  doubt, 
had  the  general  known  of  the  panic  created  by  the  cavalry 
in  the  rear,  or  had  he  been  sure  that  his  communications 
would  remain  intact,  the  result  would  have  been  far  dif 
ferent. 

The  loss  to  the  whole  army,  in  this  campaign,  was  over 
seventeen  thousand  in  killed  and  wounded.f  Very  many 
of  these  were  left  in  the.  hands  of  the  enemy. 


*  The  author  makes  no  attempt  to  discuss  the  merits  of  the  controversy,  which 
grew  out  of  this  battle,  between  two  of  the  best  soldiers  of  our  army.  The  reader 
will  find,  in  the  Report  on  the  Conduct  of  the  War,  1865,  all  the  facts  and  arguments 
on  both  sides,  by  those  most  competent  to  give  them— Generals  Hooker  and 
Sedgwick. 

t  The  following  statement  exhibits  the  loss  to  the  various  corps  in  killed,  wounded 
and  missing : 


1st, 292 

2d, 

3d, 

6th, 


6th 4,925 

llth, 2508 

12th 2,883 

Cavalry, 145 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

SECOND  ENCAMPMENT  AT  WHITE  OAK  CHURCH  AND 
THE  PENNSYLVANIA  CAMPAIGN. 

Ihe  army  in  its  old  position— Atrip  to  Dixie— The  wounded  at  the  hospitals  — 
Introduction  of  army  badges  — Adornments  of  the  camps  — The  "Third  cross 
ing"— The  Barnard  mansion  — Exchanging  papers  —  A  broken  lieutenant  — The 
Pennsylvania  campaign  commenced— Restriction  of  baggage— A  severe  march  — 
An  army  bathing  — At  Centreville— Bristow  Station  — March  to  Maryland— Gen 
eral  Hooker  succeeded  by  General  Meade— Position  of  the  army. 

THE  army  now  turned  back  to  its  old  position,  encamp 
ing  in  line  nearly  as  before,  only  all  the  troops  which  had 
encamped  on  our  left,  between  the  Sixth  corps  and  Belle 
Plain,  were  placed  far  to  the  right,  leaving  the  Sixth  corps 
on  the  left  of  the  army,  instead  of  being  nearly  in  its 
center.  The  corps  occupied  a  line  nearly  a  mile  in  rear  of 
the  old  camp,  where  the  ground  had  been  unoccupied,  and 
where  a  growth  of  young  pines,  and,  in  places,  consider 
able  groves  of  oak  timber,  afforded  far  more  attractive 
surroundings  than  the  old  quarters. 

The  wounded  were  taken  to  an  immense  field  hospital  at 
Potomac  creek,  where  hospital  tents  sufficient  to  accommo 
date  eight  thousand  wounded  men  were  erected  in  a  locality 
where  cool  breezes  could  play  freely  among  the  encamp 
ments,  and  where  pure  water  could  be  obtained.  On  the 
9th,  many  of  our  wounded  were  brought  to  the  side 
of  the  river  at  Fredericksburgh  and  sent  over  to  us  by 
the  enemy,  in  pontoon  boats,  under  flags  of  truce.  On  the 
morning  of  the  10th,  the  surgeon  of  the  Seventy-seventh 
was  ordered  to  proceed  at  once  to  Bands'  Ford  to  receive 
wounded  officers  who  were  to  be  removed  from  the  enemy's 


A   TRIP   TO   DIXIE.  213 

lines.  The  doctor  was  soon  at  the  ford,  where  he  found 
a  boat  and  a  flag  of  truce  at  his  disposal.  He  crossed  the 
river  and  met  the  officer  in  command,  who  received  him. 
courteously,  but  declared  that  he  knew  nothing  of  any 
officers  to  come  there.  The  surgeon  addressed  a  note  to 
General  Wilcox,  commanding  the  brigade  at  Banks'  Ford, 
but  he  knew  as  little  about  it  as  the  officer  at  the  river. 
"  There  are  plenty  of  federal  officers  here,"  said  he,  "  and 
we  shall  be  glad  to  send  them  across  to  your  lines  at  any 
time  when  General  Hooker  shall  apply  to  General  Lee  for 
them ;  but  I  know  of  no  arrangement  of  the  kind  now." 
Believing  that  some  arrangements  had  been  made  for  the 
transfer  of  the  wounded  officers,  but  that  the  order  had 
not  yet  reached  General  Wilcox,  the  surgeon  spent  the  day 
among  the  rebels,  conversing  with  their  officers,  while  his 
boatmen,  having  with  them  a  canteen  of  brandy,  soon 
made  themselves  very  popular  with  the  crowd  of  rebel 
soldiers  who  gathered  about,  dressed  in  motley  polors,  buff, 
blue,  gray,  butternut,  and  colors  indescribable.  They  were 
all  in  good  humor  and  lively,  and  the  hours  passed  pleas 
antly,  as  the  men  from  the  two  opposing  armies  chatted  in 
the  shade  of  some  oak  trees.  Finding  little  prospect  of 
executing  his  peaceful  mission,  the  surgeon  obtained  per 
mission  from  General  Wilcox  to  get  the  remains  of  Colonel 
Van  Houghten,  of  the  Twenty-first  New  Jersey  regiment, 
who  was  shot  at  Salem  Church,  and  died  from  his  wound 
next  day.  Doctor  McNiel,  of  the  Twenty-first,  with  a 
party  of  men,  proceeded  to  the  place  where  the  colonel 
was  buried,  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  ford,  and  brought 
the  remains  to  the  river  and  across  to  our  own  lines.  On 
reporting  at  General  Hooker's  head-quarters,  the  surgeon 
found  that  no  agreement  had  been  concluded  until  late  in 
the  day  for  the  delivery  of  the  wounded  officers;  so  he  had 
spent  the  day  in  rebeldom  to  little  effect,  except  the  resto 
ration  of  the  body  of  the  colonel  to  his  friends,  and  leaving 


214  SANITAEY   COMMISSION. 

a  company  of  nurses  to  assist  our  surgeons  who  were 
already  in  attendance  upon  our  prisoners. 

Nearly  all  our  wounded  were  at  length  returned  to  us, 
and  were  sent  to  Potomac  Creek,  or  to  Washington.  At 
Potomac  Creek,  the  cooperation  of  the  Sanitary  Commis 
sion  was  of  great  assistance  to  the  surgeons ;  and  many 
comforts  and  luxuries,  the  gifts  of  our  friends  at  home, 
cheered  the  hearts  of  the  wounded  and  suffering  heroes. 
Sheets,  pillow  cases,  handkerchiefs,  with  jellies  and  canned 
fruits,  were  distributed  in  profusion.  Here  was  the  place 
for  manifesting  the  overflowing  interest  and  noble  gen 
erosity  of  the  people  of  the  north,  and  thousands  blessed 
them  for  their  munificence. 

A  mistaken  idea  prevailed  among  friends  at  home,  that 
the  agents  of  the  Sanitary  Commission  resorted  to  the 
battle-field,  ministering  to  the  wants  of  the  wounded, 
dressing  the  wounds,  bringing  the  crippled  from  the  field, 
and  feeding  the  hungry.  Our  illustrated  papers  were 
filled  with  fine  engravings,  representing  these  acts  of 
mercy  on  the  battle-field.  These  were  pictures  of  the 
imagination.  Nothing  of  the  sort  was  done.  No  Sani 
tary  or  Christian  Commission  agents  frequented  the  battle 
field.  All  wounded  were  brought  from  the  field  by 
soldiers,  placed  in  ambulances  of  the  government  and 
taken  to  the  field  hospitals,  where  all  the  wounds  were 
dressed  by  surgeons  or  their  nurses,  and  where  all  were 
fed  by  officers  selected  for  this  special  duty.  The  Sanitary 
and  Christian  Commissions  had  a  great  mission.  They 
were  the  representatives  of  the  lively  interest  felt  by  the 
people  of  the  north,  for  the  army  it  had  sent  forth  to 
maintain  the  institutions  of  their  country.  They  found 
abundant  opportunity  for  accomplishing  their  mission  at 
the  large  hospitals  after  the  roar  of  battles  had  passed 
away ;  but  they  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  care  of  the 
wounded  on  the  battle-field. 


COUPS    BADGES.  215 

Just  before  leaving  camp  for  the  campaign  just  closed, 
General  Hooker  had  issued  an  order  assigning  to  each 
corps  and  division  its  badge,  which  was  to  be  worn  by 
every  officer  and  soldier  connected  with  either  of  the  corps. 
The  men  of  the  Sixth  corps  now  regarded  their  cross  with 
greater  pride  than  had  ever  ancient  knight  looked  upon 
the  heraldry  which  emblazoned  his  arms.  It  had  been 
baptized  in  blood,  and  amid  wonderful  achievements  of 
heroism.  Every  member  of  the  noble  corps  felt  an  exult 
ing  pride  in  his  relation  to  it,  and  regarded  his  badge 
as  a  mark  of  great  honor. 

The  introduction  of  these  badges  became  of  great  ser 
vice  to  the  army.  Every  man  could  easily  recognize  the 
corps  and  division  of  any  other  one  in  the  army;  and 
each  corps  learned  to  feel  a  pride  in  its  own  badge. 

We  had  seven  corps  in  the  army ;  First,  Second,  Third, 
Fifth,  Sixth,  Eleventh  and  Twelfth.  The  badge  of  the 
First  corps  was  a  lozenge,  that  of  the  Second  a  shamrock, 
of  the  Third  a  diamond,  of  the  Fifth  a  Maltese  cross,  of 
the  Sixth  a  Greek  cross,  the  Eleventh  a  lunette,  and  of  the 
Twelfth  a  star.  The  badge  of  the  First  division  of  each 
corps  was  red,  that  of  the  Second  white,  and  of  the  Third 
blue.  All  wagons  and  ambulances  were  marked  with  their 
appropriate  badge,  and  the  sick  soldier  who  fell  to  the  rear 
with  a  pass  to  the  ambulances,  had  no  difficulty  in  finding 
his  own  train ;  and  quartermasters  and  others  connected 
with  the  trains  were  greatly  assisted  in  their  duties  by  this 
ingenious  device. 

The  camps  of  all  the  regiments  of  our  divisions  were 
pleasantly  located,  and  great  pains  were  taken  in  laying 
them  out  and  in  decorating  them.  When  regiments  were 
not  sheltered  in  groves,  pines  were  transplanted  in  the 
company  streets  in  great  profusion ;  and  arches  and  bowers 
of  the  most  elaborate  and  elegant  designs,  formed  of  the 
boughs  of  the  red  cedar  and  pine,  exquisitely  entwined 


216  PALACES    OF   CEDAR. 

with  the  bright  green  holly,  formed  a  most  attractive  and 
beautiful  feature  of  our  second  camp  at  White  Oak  Church. 
At  division  head-quarters,  General  Howe  had  caused  to  be 
erected  a  most  elegant  hall  of  these  rural  materials,  which 
was  a  wonder  of  architectual  beauty  as  well  as  exquisite 
taste  and  ingenuity.  Its  alcoves,  its  vestibules  and  its 
arches,  were  marvels  of  elegance.  Here  came  officers, 
high  in  command,  and  brilliant  dames,  and  passed  a  night 
in  the  service  of  Terpsichore,  while  bands  discoursed  stir 
ring  music. 

In  the  camp  of  the  Seventy-seventh,  the  adornments 
were  profuse  and  beautiful.  At  head-quarters,  a  palace  of 
green  arose  among  the  trees  near  our  tents.  For  days, 
mule  teams  hauled  huge  loads  of  cedar  boughs,  which 
were  woven  into  massive  pillars  or  elegantly  turned 
arches,  and  the  structure  rose  like  one  of  those  fair  bowers 
we  read  of  in  fairy  tales.  Our  surgeon  and  quartermaster 
were  preparing  the  elegant  structure  for  the  reception  of 
their  wives.  It  was  almost  complete,  needing  only  a  few 
finishing  touches,  and  the  anxiously  awaited  guests  were 
expected  on  the  following  day ;  when,  alas  for  the  expec 
tations  of  men,  an  order  came  to  be  ready  to  march  at 
daylight  next  morning !  The  ladies,  although  too  late  to 
enjoy  this  rustic  palace,  arrived  in  time  to  find  the  corps 
in  line  of  battle,  and  witness  fierce  artillery  duels  between 
the  opposing  armies.  In  their  eagerness  to  watch  the  flight 
of  the  shells,  they  sometimes  manifested  greater  bravery 
than  their  companions,  whose  experience  had  taught  them 
to  regard  with  suspicion  the  shrieking  missiles. 

We  had  passed  a  pleasant  month  at  this  camp,  and  the 
men  were  eager,  notwithstanding  their  comfortable  quar 
ters,  for  active  campaigning.  The  health  and  spirits  of 
the  soldiers  of  the  corps  had  never  been  better,  and  in  spite 
of  the  failure  at  Chancellorsville,  they  felt  a  great  deal  of 
confidence.  So  the  order  to  move  was  received  with 


THE  "THIRD  CROSSING."  217 

pleasure,  and  we  turned  away  from  our  pleasant  camps 
willingly. 

We  left  camp  on  the  morning  of  June  5th,  one  of  the 
loveliest  of  days,  and,  taking  the  road  we  had  already  trod 
on  two  occasions,  halted  in  the  valley  of  the  Rappahan- 
nock,  on  the  very  spot  where  we  had  rested  at  the  first 
and  second  battles  of  Fredericksburgh,  and  prepared,  for 
a  third  time  within  six  months,  to  cross  the  river.  A 
correspondent  of  one  of  the  daily  journals,  writing  from 
head-quarters  of  the  army,  says :  "  Howe's  splendid  division 
of  the  fighting  Sixth  corps  was  selected  for  the  work  of 
crossing,  and  the  point  for  laying  the  bridges  was  just 
below  the  mouth  of  Deep  Run,  at  the  identical  spot  where 
we  had  crossed  twice  before." 

Pontoons  and  batteries  of  artillery  formed  long  lines 
behind  the  little  ridge  which  runs  parallel  with  the  river, 
and  the  infantry  marched  and  countermarched  to  get  in 
right  positions.  Here,  behind  the  little  ridge,  we  rested, 
until  about  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  our  men  mount 
ing  the  ridge,  and  gazing  across  the  river,  where  the  enemy 
had  turned  the  rifle  pits  thrown  up  by  our  First  division, 
to  their  own  use ;  and,  in  return,  the  rebels  raised  their 
heads  above  the  breastworks,  or  ventured  to  the  river  side, 
wondering  what  could  be  the  intention  of  the  army,  so 
recently  driven  from  these  grounds,  in  making  such  prep 
arations  for  another  crossing.  There  seemed  but  a  small 
force  opposed  to  us ;  a  strong  picket  on  the  bank,  and  the 
reserve  posted  behind  the  breastworks,  were  all  that  could 
be  seen,  though  we  well  knew  that  the  heights  beyond 
swarmed  with  opposing  hosts,  as  they  had  twice  before. 
At  length  the  engineers  drew  the  pontoons  to  the  edge  of 
the  river,  the  Seventy-seventh  being  detailed  to  assist  in 
unloading.  The  rebels  betook  themselves  to  the  rifle  pits, 
and  opened  a  brisk  fire ;  but  presently  they  were  glad  to 
draw  their  heads  behind  the  earthworks,  for  five  of  our 
28 


218  THE    EIFLE   PITS   STOEMED. 

batteries,  Williston's,  McCartney's,  Cowen's,  Haines'  and 
McCartney's,  were  run  out  upon  the  plain,  and  opened  a 
fierce  fire,  whole  batteries  firing  by  volleys,  until  the  whole 
plain,  on  the  further  side,  was  a  sheet  of  flame  from  the 
bursting  shells,  and  huge  clouds  of  dust,  plowed  up  by 
the  shrieking  missiles,  rose  so  as  to  obscure  the  heights. 
The  rebels  could  only  load,  and  thrust  their  guns  above 
the  earthworks,  firing  at  random,  for  no  man  could  raise 
his  head  without  coming  in  the  way  of  the  fiery  mes 
sengers  of  death,  which  filled  the  air.  Still  their  fire, 
although  at  random,  was  annoying,  and  it  was  evident 
that  the  safest  method  was  to  cross  men  in  boats,  enough 
to  drive  the  rebels  from  their  pits,  or  capture  them,  and 
then  build  the  bridge  without  opposition. 

The  Twenty-sixth  New  Jersey  and  Fifth  Vermont  regi 
ments  leaped  into  the  boats,  quickly  crossed,  and,  rushing 
from  the  bank,  charged  upon  the  pits.  The  rebels  were 
now,  for  the  first  time  offered  an  opportunity  for  flight ; 
for  while  the  artillery  was  filling  the  whole  plain  with 
bursting  shells,  there  remained  110  alternative  but  to  hug 
the  earth  behind  the  rifle  pits ;  now  that  the  artillery 
ceased,  they  scattered  across  the  plain  in  hot  haste,  before 
the  rapid  charge  of  our  boys.  The  two  regiments  pur 
sued  the  fugitives,  and  many  of  them  threw  down  their 
arms ;  we  captured  about  seventy-five  prisoners ;  of  these, 
thirty-six  were  captured  by  Captain  Davenport,  who,  with 
eighteen  of  his  men,  was  marching  up  the  ravine  through 
which  passes  the  Deep  Run,  when  they  came  upon  the 
rebels,  whom  they  obliged  to  surrender,  their  captain 
delivering  his  sword  to  Captain  Davenport.  Five  or  six 
men  of  the  engineers  were  killed,  and  some  wounded. 
The  Yermonters  and  New  Jerseymen,  also,  had  a  few  men 
wounded. 

The  Seventy-seventh  had  one  man  killed.  Sergeant 
Rex  Haines  was  shot  through  the  head.  lie  was  a  brave 


WATCHING.  219 

man,  and  one  of  the  best  soldiers  in  the  regiment.  He 
had,  until  that  very  day,  been  confined  to  the  hospital 
with  severe  illness.  A  few  of  our  men,  also,  received 
slight  Avounds. 

The  engineers  proceeded  at  once  to  lay  the  bridges,  and 
on  the  following  morning  the  whole  division  crossed.  Our 
picket  reserve  made  their  rendezvous  at  the  ruins  of  the  fine 
mansion  which  we  had  used  for  our  Second  division  hospital 
at  the  first  battle.  Now  nothing  but  the  bare  walls  and 
heaps  of  rubbish  marked  the  place  where  the  beautiful 
residence  had  stood.  A  regiment  of  Mississippians  had 
occupied  the  place,  and  had  ruthlessly  and  willfully  burned 
it.  Yet  the  fine  chestnuts  and  broad-spreading  oaks 
afforded  as  luxurious  a  shade  as  in  the  palmy  days  when 
the  old  bachelor  proprietor  lounged  beneath  their  shadow. 

The  picket  line  extended  nearly  to  the  railroad,  and,  as 
before,  formed  a  semi-circle,  radiating  from  the  pontoon 
bridge.  The  enemy  had  also  formed  a  strong  picket  to 
oppose  us,  and  the  two  lines  of  skirmishers  were  within  a 
few  yards  of  each  other. 

It  was  a  beautiful  Sabbath,  and  all  day  long  the  troops 
lay  upon  the  plain,  wondering  what  was  to  be  done. 
There  were  the  frowning  batteries  of  the  enemy  on  the 
hills  in  front,  apparently  able  to  blow  the  whole  division 
into  the  air,  and  we  could,  with  our  glasses,  discover 
great  numbers  of  infantry  at  the  base  of  the  hills,  half 
hidden  by  the  low  growth  of  pines.  The  main  body  of 
our  army  still  remained  in  camp ;  only  our  Sixth  corps  had 
moved.  Evidently  the  enemy  concluded  that  the  advance 
was  rather  one  of  observation  than  attack,  and  quietly 
awaited  our  movements.  Some  firing  was  for  a  time  kept 
up  on  the  skirmish  line,  and  now  and  then  a  shell  would 
come  crashing  through  some  of  the  houses  at  the  right, 
where  our  pickets  were  concealed;  but  at  length,  by 
mutual  consent,  the  pickets  of  each  army  watched  the 


220  A   DIVISION    OF   COLPORTEURS. 

movements  of  their  opponents  without  molesting  them. 
During  this  quasi-truce,  a  spirit  of  sociability  manifested 
itself,  and  our  boys  soon  struck  up  an  acquaintance  with 
their  dangerous  neighbors.  At  length  an  exchange  of 
papers  was  proposed,  and  upon  mutual  agreement  of  tem 
porary  amity,  a  Yankee  and  a  Johnnie  would  step  into 
the  open  space  between  the  two  lines,  shake  hands,  inquire 
each  other's  regiment,  trade  papers  and  retire. 

There  came  at  this  time,  to  each  company  of  one  regi 
ment,  a  copy  of  the  New  York  Observer,  Independent, 
Christian  Examiner,  Evangelist  and  other  papers,  and  Mr. 
Alvord,  the  agent  of  the  Tract  Society,  had  just  been 
among  the  men,  distributing  copies  of  the  American  Mes 
senger.  These  were  soon  collected  and  carried  over  to  be 
exchanged  for  copies  of  the  Richmond  Enquirer,  Sentinel, 
and  Examiner.  The  trade  was  not  kept  wholly  within  the 
limits  of  literary  exchange,  but  sugar  and  coffee  passed 
into  the  rebels'  hands  in  return  for  plugs  of  tobacco.  At 
length  an  order  came  from  division  head-quarters,  stopping 
this  illicit  practice.  Our  boys  declared  that  they  were 
acting  the  part  of  colporteurs  to  the  barbarian  rebels,  and, 
if  they  had  been  allowed  to  continue  the  distribution  of 
religious  papers  among  them,  they  would  soon  be  con 
vinced  of  the  error  of  their  ways,  and  desist  from  further 
fighting. 

During  the  night  of  the  8th,  our  division  was  withdrawn 
to  the  north  side  of  the  river,  our  place  being  taken  by 
the  Third  division.  We  retired  to  Stafford  Heights  and 
bivouacked.  Our  bivouac  became  our  encampment  for  a 
week.  There  we  lay,  wondering  what  was  next  to  be 
done,  while  the  artillery  on  either  side  exchanged  shots. 
The  32-pounders  on  our  hills  sending  their  huge  shot 
across  to  the  opposite  heights,  and  the  rebel  guns  reply 
ing,  sometimes  with  shells  of  most  improved  pattern,  and 
at  other  times  throwing  over  huge  pieces  of  railroad  iron. 


A   DISGRACED    OFFICER.  221 

An  incident  of  much  interest  to  Neill's  brigade  occurred 
while  we  were  here.  A  lieutentant,  belonging  to  the 
Twenty-first  New  Jersey  regiment,  had  been  tried  by  a 
court-martial,  and  convicted  of  cowardice  at  the  battle  on 
May  3d.  The  whole  brigade  was  brought  out  at  the  hour 
for  evening  parade,  and  formed  in  a  hollow  square.  To 
the  center  of  the  inclosure  the  culprit  was  brought.  His 
sentence  was  then  read  to  him,  which  was  that  he  be  dis 
missed  the  service  in  disgrace.  The  adjutant-general  of 
the  brigade  then  proceeded  to  execute  the  details  of  the 
sentence.  The  sword  of  the  cowardly  officer  was  taken 
from  him  and  broken  over  his  head;  his  shoulder-straps 
and  buttons  were  then  cut  off,  and  his  pistol  broken  and 
thrown  away.  The  sentence,  and  the  manner  of  its  execu 
tion,  were  ordered  to  be  published  in  the  newspapers  of  the 
county  where  the  regiment  was  raised.  A  similar  sentence 
was  executed  in  the  Seventy-seventh  regiment  on  the  same 
evening.  Lewis  Burke,  of  Company  F,  was  convicted  of 
cowardice  at  the  same  battle.  He  was  brought  before  the 
regiment,  which  stood  in  line ;  his  sentence  read,  his  but 
tons  and  the  blue  cord  on  his  coat  cut  off,  and  a  placard 
marked  "  COWARD  "  hung  to  his  back.  A  guard,  with  fixed 
bayonets  pointing  at  his  back,  then  marched  him  off,  the 
band  playing  "The  Rogues'  March."  Burke  went  to 
serve  out  his  time  at  the  Dry  Tortugas  at  hard  labor, 
without  pay  or  allowance. 

As  we  looked  upon  the  execution  of  these  humiliating 
sentences,  we  could  not  help  feeling  how  much  better  it 
would  have  been  to  have  fallen  nobly  on  that  field  of 
battle,  honored  and  lamented,  than  to  live  to  be  thus 
degraded  and  despised.  It  had  never  been  so  forcibly 
impressed  upon  our  minds,  how  much  better  it  was  to  die 
nobly  than  to  live  in  disgrace.  When  we  thought  of  the 
noble  Wheeler  and  his  brave  companions,  who  had  given 
their  lives  for  their  country  on  yonder  heights,  and  then 


222  OFF  FOR  PENNSYLVANIA. 

turned  to  the  sickening  scene  before  us,  we  could  but 
exclaim,  "  How  are  the  dead  to  be  envied !" 

At  length,  on  Saturday  night,  June  13th,  we  withdrew 
from  Fredericksburgh,  and  commenced  the  memorable 
Pennsylvania  campaign.  There  had  been,  for  several 
days,  indications  that  General  Lee  was  throwing  his  army 
to  our  right,  and  was  crossing  the  Rappahannock  in  the 
vicinity  of  Culpepper.  At  length  this  had  become  a  cer 
tainty  ;  and  the  whole  army  was  quickly  moved  to  come 
up  with  him.  All  day  long  the  hurrying  of  trains,  the 
movements  of  troops,  the  intense  activity  at  the  railroad 
station,  where  everything  was  being  hastily  thrown  into 
cars,  had  indicated  a  sudden  leave-taking. 

At  length  the  trains  were  off,  and  the  whole  army  in 
motion.  Our  own  corps  being  rear-guard,  started  at  ten 
o'clock  at  night.  The  darkness  was  intense,  and  a  thunder 
shower  prevailed.  Our  route  for  a  long  time  lay  through  a 
thick  woods,  where  the  branches  of  the  trees,  meeting  over 
our  heads,  shut  out  the  little  light  that  might  have  pene 
trated  the  thunder  clouds,  and  the  column  was  shut  in 
perfect  darkness.  The  road  was  terribly  muddy,  and  the 
batteries  which  were  trying  to  pass  over  the  same  route, 
were  frequently  stuck  in  the  mire.  Our  men  stumbled 
over  stones  and  fallen  trees,  often  falling  beneath  the  feet 
of  the  horses.  Men  fell  over  logs  and  stones,  breaking 
their  legs  and  arms.  Thus  we  continued  the  hasty 
and  difficult  march,  while  the  rain  poured  in  torrents 
upon  us.  Later  in  the  night  the  road  became  more  open, 
and  the  rain  ceased.  The  darkness  was  not  so  black,  still 
it  was  difficult  to  see  the  road.  We  were  passing  over 
corduroy;  some  of  the  logs  were  a  foot,  and  others  a 
foot  and  a  half  through.  They  were  slippery  from  the 
rain,  and  the  men,  heavily  laden  with  knapsacks,  guns  and 
cartridges,  tumbled  headlong,  many  of  them  going  off 
at  the  side,  and  rolling  far  down  the  steep  embankments. 


THE   ARMY   TRAIX.  223 

A  laugh  from  the  comrades  of  the  luckless  ones,  while 
some  one  would  call  out,  "  Have  you  a  pass  to  go  down 
there  ?"  was  the  only  notice  taken  of  such  accidents ;  and 
the  dark  column  hurried  on,  until  at  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  we  halted  at  Potomac  creek,  where  we  slept 
soundly  upon  the  ground  until  morning. 

The  following  day  was  Sunday.  Our  corps  did  not 
march  until  evening ;  we  lay  resting  from  the  fatigues  of 
the  night  before,  and  watching  the  immense  army  trains 
hurrying  by,  the  horses  and  mules  lashed  to  their  full 
speed,  or  viewing  the  destruction  of  the  great  hospitals 
which  had  been  established  here. 

There  were  here  immense  quantities  of  stores ;  bedding, 
glass  and  earthenware,  instruments  and  medicines,  with 
cooking  and  other  utensils  which  could  not,  in  the  haste 
of  breaking  up,  be  transported ;  so  they  were  thrown  in 
great  heaps  and  burned. 

All  day  long  the  trains  crowded  by,  four  and  five  wagons 
abreast ;  the  drivers  shouting  and  lashing  their  beasts  to 
their  greatest  speed.  No  one  who  has  not  seen  the  train 
of  an  army  in  motion,  can  form  any  just  conception  of  its 
magnitude,  and  of  the  difficulties  attending  its  movements. 
It  was  said  that  the  train  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
including  artillery,  at  the  time  of  which  we  speak,  if 
placed  in  a  single  line,  the  teams  at  the  distance  necessary 
for  the  march,  would  extend  over  seventy  miles. 

At  Fairfax  Court  House,  soon  after  this,  the  trains  were 
greatly  reduced,  and  again  at  Fairfax  Station ;  and  after 
General  Meade  took  command  of  the  army  they  were  still 
further  reduced.  Yet,  notwithstanding  all  these  curtail 
ments,  our  trains  were  said  to  be  between  thirty  and  forty 
miles  long. 

How  little  did  the  impatient  people,  who  clamored  at 
all  times,  in  winter  as  well  as  summer,  for  an  immediate 
"  advance  "  of  the  army,  consider  that  this  immense  body 


224  THE    TRAINS   REDUCED. 

must  always  advance  with  the  army ;  that  it  must  always 
be  protected ;  that  the  army  on  every  march  and  at  every 
halt  must  be  so  disposed  as  to  prevent  the  enemy  from, 
reaching  it  from  front,  flank  or  rear ;  and  that  when  an 
advance  was  commenced,  if  the  trains  were  to  become 
blocked  up,  or  stuck  fast  in  mud,  the  whole  army  must 
wait  for  them,  no  matter  whether  it  had  reached  a  favora 
ble  position  for  a  halt  or  not.  It  was  no  small  undertaking 
to  move  an  army  with  such  a  train ;  yet  there  were  many 
at  home  who  thought  the  army  could  move  from  one  place 
to  another  with  the  greatest  ease. 

It  is  true  that  the  enemy  got  along  with  smaller  trains 
than  ours,  and  it  is  true  that  the  rebel  army  on  that 
account  was  more  easily  moved  than  our  own.  It  was 
one  of  the  disadvantages  of  too  liberal  a  government  that 
our  movements  for  two  years  were  weighed  down  with 
these  cumbersome  trains ;  and  even  after  so  long  an  experi 
ence  of  their  evil  it  was  Avith  strong  feelings  of  opposition 
that  the  reduction  was  acquiesced  in. 

A  captain  or  lieutenant  of  the  line  was  allowed  a  small 
valise,  in  which  to  carry  his  company  books  and  his  cloth 
ing  ;  and  a  staff  officer  was  but  little  better  off.  Must  this 
little  be  reduced  ?  Surely  the  ammunition  and  the  com 
missary  trains  could  suffer  no  diminution.  The  amount 
of  hospital  supplies  carried  in  the  wagons  was  already 
limited ;  could  it  be  reduced  ?  The  people  were  clamoring 
to  have  wagons  of  the  Sanitary  and  Christian  Commissions 
admitted  to  the  hospital  trains,  to  carry  articles  which, 
although  they  were  gratefully  received  by  the  sol 
diers,  yet  were  not  absolutely  necessary.  The  ambulance 
train  was  surely  not  too  large,  and  we  could  spare  no 
artillery. 

Yet  the  train  was  reduced.  Small  as  was  the  valise  of 
the  line  officers,  it  must  be  still  smaller ;  little  as  was  the 
baggage  of  the  staff  officer,  it  must  be  less ;  and  inconven- 


WORSHIP    ON   THE   MAECH.  225 

iently  contracted  as  was  the  size  of  the  mess  chests,  they 
must  be  still  further  reduced. 

Thus,  through  the  day,  we  watched  the  hurrying  trains 
as  they  swept  by  with  immense  clatter  and  tumult ;  and 
the  files  of  troops,  guards  to  the  trains,  pressing  forward, 
amid  the  clouds  of  dust  and  the  rattle  and  noise  of  the 
wagons.  As  the  sun  sunk  in  the  west,  we  gathered  about 
a  green  knoll,  in  the  shade  of  a  pine  grove,  and  sung  old 
familiar  hymns;  then  the  chaplain  made  a  prayer;  thus 
was  offered  the  evening  sacrifice  for  the  Sabbath.  Few 
who  gathered  — 

"Where  through  the  long  drawn  aisle  or  fretted  vault, 
The  pealing  anthem  swells  the  note  of  praise, 

offered  more  heartfelt  thanksgiving,  or  more  earnest  sup 
plications  for  future  protection,  than  the  band  of  veterans 
seated  on  that  mossy  bank,  while  about  them  was  the  con 
fusion  of  a  great  army,  pressing  to  meet  its  foe. 

At  length,  at  nine  o'clock  at  night,  we  took  the  road, 
and,  joining  the  mighty  column,  marched  rapidly  forward. 
The  night  was  dark,  and  the  roads  uneven,  yet  the  men 
pressed  forward  with  wonderful  spirit.  They  had  heard 
during  the  day  that  Lee  with  his  army,  avoiding  us  on  the 
right,  and  moving  with  secrecy,  had  already  eluded  us, 
and  was  rapidly  making  his  way  into  Maryland,  taking 
his  route  through  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  This  was 
enough  to  stimulate  men  whose  greatest  desire  was  to 
meet  their  opponents  in  open  fight,  even  on  rebel  ground. 
But  now  the  rebels  were  invading  northern  soil ;  Mary 
land,  Pennsylvania,  and  even  New  York,  were  threatened, 
and  the  men  knew  no  limit  to  their  enthusiasm.  "  We 
can  whip  them  on  our  own  soil,"  said  they.  "  There  is  no 
man  who  cannot  fight  the  better  when  it  is  for  his  own 
home."  Such  expressions  passed  from  lip  to  lip  as  the 
dark  column  pushed  on  during  the  whole  night.  At  times 
29 


226  A   SEVERE   MARCH. 

there  would  be  a  halt ;  not  for  rest,  for  the  men,  expect 
ing  momentarily  to  move  on,  would  stand  in  the  ranks ; 
then,  on  again.  Here  and  there  were  the  camps  of  troops 
who  had  occupied  the  extreme  right  of  the  army.  Fine 
arbors  and  avenues  had  been  erected  from  the  cedar 
boughs ;  these  were  set  on  fire,  and  the  whole  heavens 
were  aglow  with  the  flames.  Morning  dawned,  the 
march  was  becoming  tedious.  The  men  were  faint,  and 
wanted  rest  and  coffee ;  but  there  was  no  halt. 

Faint  and  weary,  yet  with  determination,  the  masses  of 
men  toiled  along.  At  length,  as  the  morning  advanced, 
the  heat  of  the  sun  was  almost  intolerable,  and  the  dust 
suffocating.  Not  a  leaf  stirred  on  the  trees.  Vegetation 
drooped  under  the  scorching  rays,  and  the  clouds  of  dust 
was  so  dense,  that  one  could  not  see  half  the  length  of 
a  regiment. 

The  men  at  length  began  to  fall  from  exhaustion.  One 
after  another,  with  faces  burning  with  a  glow  of  crimson, 
and  panting  for  breath,  would  turn  to  the  surgeons  of 
their  regiments,  and  receive  passes  to  the  ambulances  and 
a  draught  from  the  surgeon's  flask ;  but  at  length  no  more 
passes  could  be  given ;  the  ambulances  were  crowded, 
and  so  many  were  falling  on  every  side,  that  it  became 
useless  to  require  or  attempt  to  give  passes,  or  even  for 
the  surgeons  to  attempt  to  relieve  the  sufferers. 

In  every  corner  of  the  rail  fences,  and  under  every  tree 
and  bush,  groups  of  men,  with  faces  glowing  with  red 
ness,  some  with  streams  of  perspiration  rolling  down  their 
cheeks,  and  others  with  their  red  faces  dry  and  feverish, 
strewed  the  wayside  and  lined  the  hedges.  Here  the 
color-bearer  of  a  regiment,  his  color  lying  beside  him,  lay 
gasping  for  breath ;  there  a  colonel,  his  horse  tied  to  the 
fence,  strove  to  fan  the  air  into  a  little  life  with  his  broad- 
brimmed  hat.  Under  one  little  clump  of  cedars  might 
be  seen  an  exhausted  group  of  line  officers,  captains  and 


BEST   AT    DUMFRIES.  227 

lieutenants,  and  under  the  next,  a  number  of  enlisted  men 
who  could  no  longer  keep  the  road.  The  spectacle  along 
the  roadside  became  appalling.  Regiments  became  like 
companies,  and  companies  lost  their  identity;  men  were 
dying  with  sunstroke ;  and  still  the  march  was  continued. 
This  could  not  last  much  longer,  for  the  brave  men 
who  still  held  out  were  fast  losing  strength,  and  soon 
there  would  be  no  troops  able  to  move.  At  length,  at 
nearly  three  o'clock,  we  came  in  sight  of  the  little,  old, 
depopulated  town  of  Dumfries.  Here,  to  the  joy  of  all, 
we  saw  men  filing  into  the  fields  for  a  halt.  There  was 
no  cheer,  no  expression  of  gladness ;  for  the  tired  men, 
with  feet  blistered  and  raw,  worn  out  by  seventeen  hours' 
constant  march,  almost  melted  and  smothered,  cared 
little  for  demonstrations.  Throwing  themselves  upon  the 
ground,  they  rested  for  half  an  hour,  and  then,  rousing 
long  enough  to  cook  their  coffee,  they  refreshed  themselves 
with  their  hard  tack,  pork  and  coffee,  and  were  ready  to 
sleep.  Here  the  Vermont  brigade  was  drawn  up  in  line, 
and  some  half  a  dozen  men,  skulkers,  principally  from  the 
Twenty-sixth  New  Jersey,  were  drummed  out  of  camp, 
the  bands  of  the  brigade  playing  "  The  Rogues'  March." 
All  who  were  participants  of  that  day's  work,  remember  it 
as  the  most  trying  march  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 
Very  grateful  to  the  weary  army  was  sleep  that  night, 
but,  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  shout  passed  along 
the  line,  "  fall  in !  fall  in ! "  And  so,  without  coffee,  we 
rolled  our  blankets  and  fell  into  line.  But,  as  often  hap 
pens,  when  the  whole  army  is  to  move,  some  parts  must 
wait  long  before  the  others  are  out  of  the  way.  So  we  of 
the  Sixth  corps  waited  until  four  o'clock,  and  got  our 
coffee  finally  before  the  rest  of  the  column  had  made  way 
for  us.  It  was  another  hot,  dusty  day,  but  not  so  intoler 
able  as  the  day  before,  and  about  two  or  three  o'clock  we 
arrived  at  Occoquan  creek,  crossing  at  Wolf  Run  Shoals 


228  AN   ARMY    BATHING. 

Here  we  had  two  or  three  hours'  rest.  The  men  had  no 
sooner  halted  than  they  plunged  into  the  stream,  and  the 
wide  creek  was  soon  alive  with  swarms  of  men  splashing 
and  diving  in  the  cooling  element. 

It  was  a  novel  sight.  An  army  bathing.  A  brigade  of 
nine  months  Vermont  troops,  had  been  stationed  here  dur 
ing  the  winter.  They  were  full  regiments,  never  thinned 
by  exhausting  labors,  hard  campaigns  or  the  trying  ordeal 
of  battle.  They  now  bade  farewell  to  their  comfortable 
quarters  and  picket  duty,  and  joined  the  Grand  Army  on 
a  real  campaign.  Although  we  had  already  made  a  long 
march,  at  four  o'clock  we  were  again  on  the  road,  and 
before  dark  we  reached  Fairfax  Station,  six  miles  from 
Wolf  Run  Shoals.  This  was  a  more  cheerful  march  than 
the  others.  The  men,  refreshed  by  their  bath,  and  strength 
ened  by  a  good  dinner  and  two  hours'  rest,  now  went 
shouting,  singing  and  laughing,  as  though  marching  was 
but  play. 

This  day  we  heard  that  some  part  of  Lee's  army  was  in 
Pennsylvania !  The  men  were  as  anxious  to  go  forward  as 
were  their  commanders.  The  corps  bivouacked  in  groves 
on  the  turnpike,  which  led  from  Fairfax  to  Manassas,  rest 
ing  for  the  night  and  the  following  day.  Here  our  train 
underwent  a  process  of  purging.  Needless  articles,  and 
many  useful  ones,  which  could  be  disposed  of,  were  sent  to 
the  rear.  The  trains  were  to  go  with  smaller  loads,  and 
many  teams  were  to  be  taken  from  them. 

We  had  marched,  since  setting  out  from  before  Freder- 
icksburgh,  through  a  country,  well  enough  by  nature,  but 
neglected,  barren  and  depopulated.  How  large  a  portion 
of  this  great  State  was  in  this  sad  condition  ?  Its  natur 
ally  rich  fields  were  grown  up  to  scrub  pines,  mugworts 
and  wormwood.  Its  fair  valleys  desolate  of  inhabitants, 
or  inhabited  by  low  white  trash,  as  idle  as  ignorant.  The 
groves  and  fields  where  we  now  rested  were  pleasant  for  a 


AT   FAIRFAX   COURT   HOUSE.  229 

bivouac,  but  the  fields  were  waste  land,  and  the  oak  timber 
was  all  that  seemed  of  any  value,  as  far  as  we  could  see. 
Yet  we  were  now  within  a  few  miles  of  Washington,  where 
articles  of  food  brought  fabulous  prices,  and  wood  could 
scarcely  be  procured.  Why  were  these  fine  lands  desolate  ? 
Was  it  because  agriculture  was  unprofitable  ?  Surely,  with 
Washington  and  Alexandria  so  near,  and  Baltimore  at  a 
short  distance  farther,  there  should  be  a  good  market  for 
produce.  Was  it  because  the  war  had  put  a  stop  to  agri 
cultural  pursuits?  The  scrub  pines  and  dwarf  oaks 
growing  upon  deserted  tobacco  fields,  where  the  ridges 
were  still  plainly  visible,  showed  that  before  the  war 
indolence  prevailed. 

At  five  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  June  19th,  we  were 
again  on  the  march,  reaching  Fairfax  Court  House  before 
noon.  Again  our  train  was  overhauled,  baggage  reduced, 
and  teams  sent  to  the  rear.  By  this  time  the  train  began  to 
assume  more  reasonable  dimensions.  General  officers  were 
strictly  forbidden  the  use  of  ambulances,  henceforth  all 
ambulances  were  to  be  used  for  their  legitimate  purposes, 
and  general  officers  and  their  staffs  were  to  get  along  with 
a  more  reasonable  amount  of  baggage,  while  regimental 
officers  were  to  be  allowed  only  the  most  limited  amount  of 
transportation.  A  single  small  valise  only  was  the  extent 
of  baggage  for  each  regimental  officer,  and  a  mess  chest  of 
the  size  of  a  cracker  box,  was  to  be  the  allowance  for  all 
officers  of  a  single  company. 

About  Fairfax  Court  House  was  stationed  a  division  of 
cavalry  and  some  infantry,  under  the  command  of  General 
Stahl.  These  troops,  like  the  brigade  of  Vermont  troops, 
had  been  employed  in  guarding  the  country  against  the 
inroads  of  guerilla  bands.  These  were  now  also  to  join 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  their  gallant  conduct  at 
Falling  Waters,  a  few  days  after,  showed  them  to  be 
composed  of  the  best  material. 


230  AT   CENTRE VILLE. 

General  Hooker,  unwilling  to  favor  General  Lee,  by 
uncovering  the  capital,  and  wisely  judging  of  his  wary 
enemy's  motives,  instead  of  pushing  rapidly  forward  to 
Maryland,  as  Lee  desired,  threw  the  different  corps  into 
positions,  which  should  at  once  be  favorable  for  watching 
his  movements,  and  resisting  any  attack.  Accordingly, 
our  own  corps,  turning  partly  back  from  our  line  of 
march,  on  the  20th,  marched  towards  Bristow  Station. 

We  passed  through  Centreville,  its  powerful  forts  and 
redoubts  garrisoned  by  large  regiments  of  men,  who  wore 
bright  new  uniforms,  and  whose  officers  had  red  tufts 
upon  their  caps.  These  new  uniforms  were  soon  to  be  as 
grimy  and  dusty  as  those  of  the  veterans,  at  whom  they 
now  gazed  with  so  much  interest,  and  the  full  regiments 
were  soon  to  find  their  ranks  thinned  by  the  same  terrible 
process  which  had  made  those  passing  by  them  only 
fragments  of  regiments. 

The  works  about  Centreville  were  of  most  powerful 
character,  having  been  made  even  stronger  than  at  the 
last  battle  of  Bull  Run.  In  the  forts  and  redoubts  upon 
the  commanding  positions,  was  mounted  heavy  artillery, 
and  the  long  lines  of  trenches  and  breastworks,  stretching 
far  to  the  flanks,  and  commanding  declivities  where 
musketry  and  artillery  could  sweep  an  advancing  force 
with  terrible  effect,  rendered  the  position  impregnable 
from  any  direct  assault.  The  few  dilapidated  houses 
still  remaining  to  mark  the  site  of  the  village,  presented  a 
forlorn  and  pitiful  appearance.  Deserted  by  their  owners, 
occupied  as  stables  and  storehouses,  some  of  them  fall 
ing  in  ruins,  and  all  dirty  and  dilapidated,  they  were 
a  mournful  commentary  on  the  ruthless  destruction  which 
follows  in  the  footsteps  of  war.  Still  further  on,  our 
route  led  us  along  the  Manassas  Gap  railroad.  Here  were 
more  sad  pictures  of  the  havoc  of  war.  The  track  was 
torn  up,  the  ties  burnt.  Every  now  and  then,  numbers  of 


BEISTOW    STATION.  231 

car  wheels  and  axles,  iron  bands  and  braces,  couplings 
and  reaches,  showed  where  whole  trains  had  been  burned. 

Here  and  there,  the  incombustible  materials  among  the 
debris  showed  the  lading  of  particular  cars.  The  remains 
of  fruit  cans,  tin  plates,  blacking  boxes  and  glassware, 
told  of  sutlers  who  had  disposed  of  their  wares  at  less  than 
the  usual  exorbitant  prices.  Heaps  of  spikes  and  handle- 
less  hammers,  and  iron  bars,  reminded  us  of  disconcerted 
plans  in  railroad  extension,  while  numberless  solid  shot, 
bullets  and  fragments  of  shells,  showed  where  car  loads 
of  ammunition  had  been  consumed  in  harmless  explosions. 

At  length,  after  a  hard  day's  march,  we  arrived  at  Bris- 
tow  Station,  where  the  corps  turned  into  the  fields  and 
bivouacked. 

The  tower  and  wind-mill  which  had  been  used  for  rais 
ing  water  to  the  tank,  remained  alone  to  show  where  the 
station  had  been ;  all  the  other  buildings  being  destroyed, 
except  where  still  remained  the  dismantled  ruins  of  what 
had  once  been  a  hotel. 

Here,  as  for  miles  back  on  the  road,  were  the  remains 
of  ruined  cars  and  their  contents. 

The  surrounding  country  was  delightful.  A  mile  or 
two  south  of  us  was  a  little  church  in  the  midst  of  an  oak 
grovxi.  It  is  an  agreeable  peculiarity  with  the  southern 
people,  that  they  are  accustomed  to  locate  their  country 
churches  in  the  midst  of  pleasant  groves,  sometimes  at  a 
distance  from  any  residence.  In  this  respect,  they  cer 
tainly  exhibit  better  taste  than  the  people  of  most  of  our 
northern  States,  who  have  such  a  propensity  for  setting 
the  church  on  the  summit  of  some  high  hill  where  not  a 
tree  or  shrub  adorns  the  grounds,  and  the  aspiring  steeple 
seems,  like  Babel,  to  be  striving  vainly  to  reach  the 
heavens. 

On  the  morning  after  our  arrival  here,  we  heard  the 
sounds  of  cannonading  not  far  off,  and  learned  that  the  cav- 


232  GENERAL    KILPATEICK. 

airy  under  General  Pleasanton  were  hotly  engaged  at 
Aldee  and  Upperville,  with  Stuart's  rebel  cavalry,  and 
that  our  forces  were  getting  the  best  of  the  desperate 
encounter,  winning  laurels  for  themselves  and  gaining 
another  of  that  series  of  victories  which  was  destined  to 
remove  the  derision  in  which  that  arm  of  the  service  had 
been  held,  not  from  any  previous  want  of  good  fighting 
qualities  on  the  part  of  our  cavalry.  General  Pleasanton 
had  attacked  Stuart's  forces  near  Middleburgh,  driving 
the  rebels  in  confusion  through  Upperville  to  Ashby's 
Gap,  taking  some  pieces  of  artillery  and  a  large  number 
of  prisoners.  General  Kilpatrick,  in  this  engagement,  had 
exhibited  fighting  qualities  of  the  first  order,  riding  in 
front  of  the  men  and  leading  the  way  when  they  hesitated. 
His  gallant  conduct  inspired  for  him  the  confidence  and 
admiration  of  his  men.  It  was  the  commencement  of  a 
brilliant  career  which  made  him  one  of  the  first  cavalry 
commanders  in  the  army.  His  dashing  ride  from  the  Pen 
insula  to  Fredericksburgh,  with  but  a  handful  of  men, 
eluding  the  watchfulness  of  the  wily  Stuart,  had  already 
established  his  talent  for  bold  adventure,  and  his  conduct 
on  this  occasion  proved  his  personal  bravery.  These  are 
the  two  great  qualities  needed  for  a  cavalry  officer,  and 
Kilpatrick's  name  at  once  became  a  tower  of  strength 
among  his  men. 

In  this  pleasant  locality  the  corps  remained,  an  outpost 
for  the  army,  guarding  the  passes  from  the  Shenandoah,  for 
five  days.  The  weather  was  delightful,  and  the  men 
enjoyed,  to  the  utmost,  the  needed  rest.  They  lounged  in 
the  shade  of  their  tents  or  in  the  neighboring  groves,  or 
strolled  along  the  railroad  track,  examining  curiously  the 
ruined  remains  of  the  trains.  In  a  delightful  spot  at  a 
distance  from  the  camps,  almost  surrounded  by  a  grove  of 
oak  trees,  the  hospital  tents  of  our  Second  division  w^ere 
erected.  To  this  quiet  and  lovely  spot,  where  cool  breezes 


LEE    THWARTED.  233 

always  played,  were  brought  the  sick  and  weary,  and 
carefully  nursed. 

But  General  Lee  despaired  of  inducing  General  Hooker 
to  uncover  the  capital,  so,  leaving  Virginia  with  his  whole 
army,  he  pushed  toward  Pennsylvania,  determined  at  least 
to  draw  our  army  as  far  away  from  Washington  as  possible, 
and  to  reap  rich  harvests  of  spoils  among  the  overflowing 
granaries  of  the  Keystone  State.  No  sooner  had  the 
movement  of  the  main  body  of  Lee's  army  into  Maryland 
commenced,  than  General  Hooker,  with  his  forces,  com 
menced  the  pursuit. 


30 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  GETTYSBURG!!  CAMPAIGN. 

The  rebels  in  Pennsylvania  —  Panic  at  Harrisburgh  —  Alarm  at  Baltimore  and 
Washington  —  Sixth  corps  leaves  Bristow  Station  —  A  surprise  —  General  Meade 
takes  command  —  Position  of  the  army  —  Marching  through  Pennsylvania  —  An 
unprecedented  march  —  Exciting  news  —  Battle  of  Gettysburgh  —  Death  of  Bey- 
nolds  —  First  and  Eleventh  corps  fall  back  —  Second  day's  battle  —  The  battle 
field—Fighting  at  Bound  Top  — On  the  right  — The  grand  onset  — The  battle 
decided  —  Kebel  and  Union  wounded. 

MEANWHILE,  great  excitement  prevailed  at  the  north, 
especially  in  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania,  on  account  of 
the  invasion  of  the  rebel  army.  As  early  as  the  15th 
of  the  month,  more  than  a  thousand  rebel  cavalry  had 
reached  Chambersburgh,  Avhich  they  had  sacked.  Two 
days  before,  the  battle  of  Winchester  was  closed.  Ewell, 
with  overwhelming  numbers  had  fallen  upon  General  Mil- 
roy's  force,  which  had  unwisely  been,  by  order  of  some 
body,  thrust  far  away  from  its  base,  and  out  of  the  reach 
of  reinforcements,  routing  the  division,  and  in  its  flight 
capturing  its  artillery  and  a  large  portion  of  the  infantry. 

Nothing  now  opposed  the  march  of  the  invaders  through 
the  Shenandoah  Valley.  In  Harrisburgh,  the  excitement 
rose  almost  to  a  panic.  All  the  paintings,  books,  papers, 
and  other  valuable  articles,  were  removed  from  the  capi- 
tol,  packed  in  boxes  and  loaded  into  cars,  ready  to  be  sent 
off  at  the  first  sign  of  immediate  danger.  The  citizens 
formed  themselves  into  military  companies,  and  worked 
day  and  night  throwing  up  redoubts  and  rifle  pits  about 
the  city.  Men  unaccustomed  to  manual  labor  vigorously 
plied  the  pick  and  the  spade,  and  kept  up  their  unwonted 
toil  with  an  earnestness  worthy  of  veteran  soldiers.  To 


ALARM   AT   THE    NOKTH.  235 

add  to  this  confusion  and  alarm,  the  trains  of  Milroy's 
division  that  had  escaped  capture  were  rattling  through 
the  streets  in  search  of  a  resting  place.  Throughout  the 
State  of  Pennsylvania  business  was  suspended.  The  gov 
ernor  was  calling  loudly  for  men  to  rush  to  arms  in  defense 
of  their  homes;  and  General  Couch  was  striving  to  organ 
ize  the  militia  which  presented  itself. 

Baltimore  and  Washington  were  like  besieged  cities. 
Stuart  was  threatening  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  road,  and 
bodies  of  rebel  cavalry  had  penetrated  within  half  a  dozen 
miles  of  Washington.  Bells  rung  out  the  alarm,  and  the 
affrighted  citizens  rushed  to  arms.  Loyal  leagues  were 
now  of  service,  forming  the  nucleus  of  many  an  impro 
vised  company  of  defenders.  All  these  facts  we  learned 
from  the  newspapers,  a  few  stray  copies  of  which  fell 
within  the  path  of  the  army,  and  from  the  highly 
colored  accounts  of  citizens,  who,  with  expressions  of  the 
utmost  alarm  and  anxiety,  related  what  they  had  heard 
or  seen. 

On  the  night  of  the  26th  of  June,  the  Sixth  corps  left 
Bristow  Station.  The  darkness  was  intense,  and  a  drizzling 
rain  rendered  marching  disagreeable.  The  march  was 
rapid,  and  some  of  the  men  fell  behind,  and  were  next  day 
collected  and  marched  off  to  Richmond,  by  the  guerilla 
parties  that  constantly  hung  upon  our  flanks  and  rear. 
Before  daylight  we  halted  at  Centreville.  The  men  threw 
themselves  upon  the  wet  ground,  and  slept  for  two  hours, 
while  the  rain  beat  upon  them.  Then,  at  six  o'clock,  they 
were  again  roused,  by  the  order  to  be  ready  to  move  at 
once.  While  taking  our  coffee,  and  waiting  for  the  final 
order  to  march,  some  villain,  belonging  to  the  troops 
stationed  at  Centreville,  set  fire  to  the  little  Episcopal 
chapel  that  stood  not  far  from  us,  and  was  the  only  build 
ing  remaining  in  the  little  village  which  pretended  to  any 
appearance  of  modern  architecture.  Those  vandals  Avho 


236 

follow  an  army,  bent  on  nothing  but  destruction,  are 
among  the  unavoidable  evils  of  war,  and  even  the  most 
severe  discipline  is  insufficient  to  effectually  arrest  all  mis 
chief  of  the  kind. 

Our  march  was  a  severe  one  for  men  who  had  been 
on  the  road  all  night,  and  the  men  were  glad  when  we 
bivouacked  a  little  before  dark,  in  a  beautiful  oak  grove 
near  Drainsville.  Very  early  next  morning,  descending 
into  the  lovely  valley  of  the  Potomac,  we  reached  Edwards' 
Ferry,  where  troops  were  crossing ;  after  a  delay  of  one 
or  two  hours,  waiting  for  troops  of  another  corps  to  cross 
the  pontoon  bridge,  we  followed,  and  were  in  Maryland 
again.  All  day  long  troops  were  passing  over  the  bridges 
and  taking  their  positions  upon  the  neighboring  hills, 
ready  for  starting  anew  in  the  morning ;  for  nearly  the 
whole  army  was  crossing  at  this  point,  and  as  the  process 
was  necessarily  slow,  those  who  went  over  first  waited  for 
those  behind. 

On  Sunday,  we  left  Edwards'  Ferry ;  marched  through 
Poolesville  and  Barnstown  to  Hyattstown.  A  halt  was 
made  at  Barnstown  for  dinner,  and  the  Sixth  corps  left 
the  road  and  occupied  a  pleasant  valley,  where  the  chest 
nut  trees  aiforded  a  grateful  shade  for  the  men.  They  had 
just  unslung  knapsacks,  when  we  were  all  startled  by 
the  sound  of  a  church  bell,  which  seemed  in  our  midst. 
The  boys  gazed  for  a  moment  in  mute  astonishment  in  the 
direction  from  which  the  sound  came,  when  they  dis 
covered  at  a  short  distance  from  them,  a  little  church  half 
hidden  among  the  trees,  and  the  parishioners  gathering 
for  service.  When  the  first  surprise  was  over,  the  word 
passed  from  one  to  another,  "  It  is  Sunday  ! "  "  It  is  Sun 
day!"  and  they  set  up  a  shout  that  demonstrated  that 
they  had  not  forgotten  to  love  the  institutions  of  civili 
zation,  even  after  so  long  an  absence  from  a  civilized 
country.  Few  who  were  present  at  this  time,  will  ever 


GENERAL   HOOKER   SUPERSEDED.  237 

forget  the  thrill  of  pleasurable  surprise  which  we  all 
experienced  at  hearing  once  more  the  sounds  which  so 
forcibly  reminded  us  of  home. 

Some  of  the  men  attended  the  service.  It  was  a  Catho 
lic  church,  a  small  edifice  which  had  once  been  white, 
but,  by  the  action  of  the  weather  for  many  years,  it  had 
now  become  brown.  The  seats  and  altar  had  never 
been  painted,  and  the  plaster  of  the  inner  wall  had,  in 
places,  fallen  from  the  lath.  The  parishioners  seemed 
quite  devout  people,  and  the  pastor  a  sincere  man.  In 
his  prayers  he  remembered  the  President  and  the  govern 
ment,  and  he  supplicated  for  peace.  The  reverend  father 
said  that,  owing  to  the  confusion  in  town,  there  would  be 
no  sermon,  but  he  wished  the  good  people  to  pray  for 
sister  A.,  who  was  at  the  point  of  death,  and  for  the 
repose  of  the  soul  of  brother  B.,  who  was  already  dead. 
Some  of  our  officers  engaged  in  a  pleasant  conversation 
with  the  pastor  after  service.  He  was  an  agreeable,  shrewd 
man,  and  professed  to  be  a  good  Unionist. 

It  was  at  Hyattstown  that  we  first  learned  that  General 
Hooker  had  been  superseded,  in  the  command  of  the 
army,  by  General  George  B.  Meade.  The  announcement 
of  this  unexpected  change  at  such  a  time,  was  received 
with  astonishment,  and  by  many  with  indignation.  To 
deprive  the  leader  of  a  great  army  of  his  command  just 
upon  the  eve  of  a  great  battle,  when,  by  the  most  brilliant 
marches  and  masterly  strategy,  he  had  thrown  this  army 
face  to  face  with  his  enemy,  thwarting  his  designs  of 
moving  upon  the  capital,  without  some  offense  of  a  grave 
character,  was  an  act  unheard  of  before  in  the  history  of 
warfare.  It  seemed,  from  later  information  regarding  this 
extraordinary  measure,  that  a  difference  had  arisen  between 
General  Hooker  and  his  superior  at  Washington  in  regard 
to  the  disposition  of  troops  at  Harper's  Ferry,  and  that, 
each  refusing  to  surrender  his  opinion,  General  Hooker 


238  POSITION   OF   THE    AEMY. 

was  relieved.  His  successor  demanded  the  same  disposi 
tion  on  the  very  next  day,  and  it  was  granted  ! 

The  army  was  not  dissatisfied  with  the  appointment  of 
General  Meade  ;  the  soldiers  would  as  readily  fight  under 
Meade  as  under  Hooker.  They  were  anxious  to  retrieve 
what  had  been  lost  at  Chancellors ville,  and  would  have 
been  glad  could  General  Hooker  have  shared  in  the  victory 
which  they  believed  they  were  about  to  achieve ;  but  the 
men  of  the  Union  army  fought  for  their  country  and  not 
for  their  leaders.  So  they  at  once  transferred  their  hopes 
and  their  obedience  to  the  new  commander.  General 
Meade  was  well  known  to  the  army  as  a  good  soldier,  the 
brave  general  who  had,  with  his  single  division,  dashed 
upon  the  rebels  at  the  first  Fredericksburgh,  and  as  the 
leader  of  a  corps  which  behaved  gallantly  at  Chancellors- 
ville.  All  were  willing  to  try  him,  and  hoped  for  the  best. 

The  movement  from  Fredericksburgh  had  been  conducted 
with  consummate  skill  and  energy,  and  now  the  army  was 
moving  in  several  columns  by  roads  nearly  parallel,  with 
the  twofold  object  of  greater  rapidity  of  movement,  and 
of  sweeping  a  greater  extent  of  country. 

The  Sixth  corps  was  now  upon  the  extreme  right,  march 
ing  toward  Manchester  ;  next,  on  our  left,  was  the  Twelfth 
corps,  at  Taneytown,  a  little  hamlet  named  in  honor  of  the 
chief  justice  of  the  United  States,  whose  residence  was 
there.  At  a  point  a  dozen  miles  north  and  west  of  us, 
was  the  head-quarters  of  the  army,  and  the  Second  and 
Third  Corps.  Further  to  the  left,  at  Emmitsburgh,  were 
the  First,  Fifth  and  Eleventh  corps.  Upon  either  flank 
of  this  line,  extending  twenty  miles,  was  cavalry.  Thus 
the  army  was  guarding  a  great  extent  of  country,  at  the 
same  time  that  the  different  corps  were  within  supporting 
distance  of  each  other. 

The  rebel  army  under  General  Lee,  one  hundred  thou 
sand  strong,  occupied  an  equally  extended  line  to  the  north 


AT   MANCHESTER.  239 

and  west  of  us,  stretching-  from  Harrisburgh  through 
Chambersburgh  and  Cashtown. 

At  five  o'clock,  Monday  morning,  28th,  the  corps 
marched  again,  passing  through  Monroville,  New  Market, 
Ridgeville  and  Mount  Airy  Station,  halting  for  the  night 
at  Sam's  creek.  As  the  corps  passed  through  Westminster 
011  the  following  day,  the  people  welcomed  us  with  demon 
strations  of  joy,  which  were  all  the  more  earnest,  as  the 
rebel  cavalry  had,  but  two  hours  before,  taken  a  hasty 
leave  of  them.  At  night  we  were  at  Manchester,  at  least 
twenty  miles  from  the  left  of  the  army,  and  between  the 
line  of  march  of  the  enemy  and  Baltimore.  We  rested 
here  until  evening  of  the  next  day.  The  plot  was  thick 
ening,  and  the  hostile  forces  were  moving  cautiously,  each 
wratching  the  movements  of  the  other,  and  each  ready  to 
seize  any  opportunity  for  rushing  upon  its  enemy  to  destroy 
it.  Thus  far  our  marches  had  been  of  most  fatiguing 
character.  We  had,  in  the  last  four  days,  passed  over  one 
hundred  miles  of  road.  It  is  to  be  remembered  that  these 
marches  were  made  under  burning  suns,  and  that  each 
soldier  carried  with  him  his  gun,  knapsack,  haversack, 
containing  five  days'  provisions,  and  forty  rounds  of  cart 
ridges.  The  men  had  kept  up  wonderfully  during  this 
trying  campaign,  but  the  great  march  of  all,  in  which  this 
magnificent  corps  was  to  outdo  all  that  was  ever  recorded 
of  wonderful  marches,  was  yet  in  store  for  it. 

We  waited  at  Manchester  until  evening.  The  inhabi 
tants  were  well  supplied  with  rye  whisky,  and  it  must  be 
confessed  that  soldiers  have  a  way  of  finding  out  the 
existence  of  that  luxury,  and  of  supplying  themselves 
with  it ;  and  as  the  men  of  the  old  Sixth  corps  were  in  no 
respect  behind  their  comrades  of  the  other  corps,  many 
of  our  brave  fellows  became,  long  before  dark,  consider 
ably  inebriated. 

At  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  of  the  1st  of  July,  we 


240  MARCHING   TO    GETTYSBUKGH. 

were  on  the  road,  but  it  was  eleven  before  we  were  fairly 
under  headway.  Those  who  during  the  day  had  indulged 
so  freely  in  the  rye  whisky  of  the  farmers,  as  to  disable 
them  from  marching  or  even  standing  in  line,  were  quietly 
thrown  into  the  clumps  of  bushes  by  the  roadside,  and  left 
to  be  gathered  up  by  cavalry  squads  that  were  scouring 
the  country  for  stragglers.  Those  that  were  left  by  our 
own  provost-guards  were  picked  up  by  rebel  scouts. 

The  column  now  pushed  rapidly  on;  all  night  the 
weary  march  was  kept  up.  A  halt  of  ten  minutes  for 
breakfast,  and  then  on  again.  Now  we  heard  that  a  part 
of  the  army,  the  First  corps,  had  already  engaged  the 
enemy  at  Gettysburgh,  with  doubtful  issue,  and  that  its 
commander,  General  Reynolds,  was  killed. 

New  ardor  was  now  kindled  in  the  breasts  of  the  men 
of  the  Sixth  corps  at  these  tidings,  and  they  pressed 
forward  at  a  pace  unusual,  even  for  them.  The  day  was 
bright,  the  sun  pouring  scalding  rays  from  a  cloudless  sky. 
The  men  strove  hard  to  keep  in  the  ranks,  for  few  in 
that  corps  were  willing  to  be  left  behind  in  a  fight. 

Yet  some  gave  out  from  exhaustion,  but  even  these,  at  a 
slower  pace,  followed  the  rapidly  moving  column. 

At  the  houses  on  the  roadsides,  the  citizens,  their  wives 
and  daughters,  were  bringing  water,  from  which  the 
soldiers  filled  their  canteens  as  they  passed.  At  Little- 
town  we  saw  citizens  bringing  the  wounded  from  the 
field  in  their  carriages,  and  many  wounded  soldiers  who 
could  walk  were  making  their  way  to  the  village.  The 
marching  was  more  rapid.  Our  friends  were  waiting  for 
us.  Soon  we  saw  above  the  valley  that  lay  before  us, 
clouds  of  smoke  and  the  white  puffs  of  bursting  shells. 
As  yet  we  could  distinguish  little  of  the  sound  of  battle, 
but  those  small  fleecy  clouds  which  appeared  so  suddenly, 
flashing  forked  lightning,  told  us  of  work  ahead.  It 
was  five  o'clock  when  the  Sixth  corps  arrived  on  the 


A   RETROSPECT.  241 

battle-field,  having  made  an  unprecedented  march  of 
thirty-four  miles !  We  halted  in  reserve,  not  to  rest,  but 
to  wait  a  few  moments  until  our  place  should  be  assigned 
us  in  front.  We  had  more  inarching  to  do !  Four  miles 
more  of  marching  and  countermarching  that  night,  made 
thirty-eight  miles  in  a  single  day.  Such  marching  as  had 
been  done  by  the  Sixth  corps  since  leaving  Bristow 
Station,  is  unparalleled  in  the  history  of  armies. 

The  roar  of  battle  was  terrific.  On  our  left,  where 
rose  a  hill  covered  with  timber  on  the  top  and  side, 
a  fearful  struggle  seemed  in  progress,  and  the  roll  of 
musketry  and  the  rapid  discharge  of  artillery  was  almost 
deafening. 

Let  us  now  turn  back  and  review  the  operations  of  the 
First  and  the  Eleventh  corps  since  yesterday  morning. 
We  give  it  as  it  was  related  to  us  by  members  of  the  First 
and  Eleventh  corps.  General  Buford,  commanding  the 
cavalry  on  the  left  flank  of  the  army,  had  advanced  north 
of  the  town  of  Gettysburgh,  and  had  fallen  in  with  large 
bodies  of  cavalry,  supported  by  infantry.  He  became 
hotly  engaged  with  this  force,  and  at  once  reported  the 
information  to  General  Meade  that  he  had  found  the  enemy 
in  large  force.  General  Reynolds,  who,  with  the  First 
corps  had  by  this  time  reached  Marsh  creek,  within  easy 
striking  distance  of  Gettysburgh,  was  directed  to  urge  his 
troops  forward  to  Gettysburgh  as  rapidly  as  possible. 
The  corps  pushed  on,  and  reaching  Gettysburgh,  filed 
through  the  town,  leaving  it  to  the  rear.  General  Buford 
was  found  fiercely  struggling  to  maintain  his  position 
against  the  infantry  of  the  enemy.  At  once,  General 
Reynolds  proceeded  to  select  a  position  for  his  line  of 
battle.  Without  a  moment's  hesitation,  the  corps  was 
deployed ;  the  division  of  Wadsworth,  leading  the  van, 
was  in  position ;  a  battery  which  had  been  brought  to  the 
front  was  slowly  forced  back,  but  the  gallant  Wadsworth, 
31 


242  DEATH    OF    KEYJSTOLDS. 

bringing  more  infantry  into  line,  arrested  the  retreat,  and 
in  turn  forced  back  the  hostile  forces,  who  were  now  found 
to  be  in  large  numbers.  It  was  at  this  time  that  General 
Reynolds,  riding  forward  with  a  few  members  of  his  staff, 
to  inspect  the  field  with  the  view  of  bringing  the  rest  of 
his  troops  into  favorable  position,  was  shot  through  the 
neck,  the  enemy  having,  at  the  moment,  opened  a-  full 
volley  of  musketry.  The  noble  commander,  feeling  the 
wound,  turned  to  his  soldiers  and  shouted,  "Forward 
men !  for  God's  sake,  forward !"  and  fell,  dying,  into  the 
arms  of  one  of  his  companions. 

This  sad  loss  only  fired  the  hearts  of  the  soldiers  to 
more  desperate  determination,  and  they  rushed  into  line 
upon  the  run,  burning  to  avenge  their  beloved  leader. 
General  Doubleday,  of  the  Second  division  of  the  corps, 
was  next  in  rank,  and  took  command.  The  encounter  was 
sharp,  and  the  rebels  were  giving  way.  Three  hundred 
prisoners  were  brought  in,  and  the  corps  was  put  into 
position  to  hold  its  ground.  The  force  of  the  enemy  now 
engaged,  proved  to  be  the  corps  of  General  A.  P.  Hill, 
and  the  prisoners  declared  that  the  rest  of  the  confederate 
army  was  close  at  hand.  A  column  of  the  enemy  now 
moved  toward  the  left  of  our  line,  debouching  from  a 
piece  of  woods,  and  occupying  a  close  proximity  to  our 
forces.  Volley  after  volley  was  poured  into  the  advancing 
column,  without  avail,  except  to  stretch  many  of  its  men 
upon  the  ground,  wounded  and  dying. 

At  length  the  brigades  of  Doubleday's  own  division 
were  ordered  to  charge  upon  the  obstinate  line.  They 
obeyed  with  alacrity,  their  cheers  and  shouts  ringing 
above  the  roar  of  musketry.  The  rebels  gave  way  before 
this  impetuous  charge,  and  several  hundred  more  prisoners 
were  brought  in. 

Thus  far  the  First  corps  was  victorious,  but  its  ranks 
were  becoming  terribly  thinned. 


FIKST   AND   ELEVENTH   CORPS   ENGAGED.  243 

In  the  meantime,  General  Howard,  with  the  Eleventh 
corps,  was  hastening  to  the  assistance  of  the  First.  Just 
before  receiving  his  fatal  wound,  General  Reynolds  had 
sent  a  messenger  to  Howard,  who,  with  his  corps,  was  ten 
miles  behind,  to  hasten  forward  as  rapidly  as  possible. 

The  men  of  that  corps  were  burning  to  wipe  out  the 
unfortunate  record  of  Chancellorsville,  and  the  roar  of 
artillery  before  them,  inspired  vigor  in  their  movements 
and  urged  them  forward ;  but  the  noise  of  the  battle  was 
heard  by  others. 

Ewell,  with  his  confederates,  was  but  three  miles  off;  and 
while  the  Unionists  looked  for  the  coming  of  help,  a  fresh 
corps  reinforced  the  rebels.  But  the  opposing  forces  were, 
for  the  time,  willing  to  allow  a  lull  in  the  battle.  So,  from 
ten  o'clock  until  half-past  two  the  First  corps  held  the 
enemy  at  bay.  By  this  time  a  division  of  the  Eleventh 
corps  was  on  the  ground  and  another  on  the  other  side  of 
Gettysburgh.  General  Howard  took  command.  The 
Union  reinforcements  were  just  arriving;  those  of  the 
rebels  had  already  taken  their  position,  and  were  ready  for 
a  desperate  charge. 

Suddenly,  rushing  from  the  cover  of  the  woods  in  which 
they  had  debouched  from  the  York  road,  the  old  corps  of 
Stonewall  Jackson,  now  under  Ewell,  charged,  with  yells, 
down  upon  the  Eleventh.  The  Germans,  this  time  stood 
their  ground,  returning  with  spirit,  the  volleys  of  their  old 
antagonists. 

On  the  left,  Hill  was  also  charging  fiercely  upon  the  First 
corps,  and  the  sturdy  divisions  of  Wadsworth  and  Cutler 
were  almost  destroyed. 

The  rebel  line  now  overlapped  that  of  the  Union  forces 
on  either  flank,  and  the  two  corps  under  Howard  were  in 
danger  of  being  surrounded  by  the  greater  numbers  of 
their  adversaries.  The  lines  began  to  waver  under  the 
fearful  storm  of  lead  and  iron,  and  the  order  was  given  to 


244  CEMETERY    HILL. 

fall  back.  The  lines  retired  in  good  order  until  they 
reached  the  town.  There,  in  passing  through  the  streets, 
the  Germans  became  confused  and  alarmed,  and  the  retreat 
of  the  corps  became  a  rout.  Twelve  hundred  were  taken 
prisoners  in  the  streets.  The  First  corps  maintained  its 
line  of  battle  and  held  its  foe  at  a  distance  in  spite  of  the 
deadly  fire  which  was  decimating  its  ranks.  The  heroic 
Wadsworth  cheered  and  encouraged  his  men  by  his  own 
noble  example,  while  the  messengers  of  death  shrieked 
thickly  about  him.  On  the  right  of  the  corps,  Hill  had 
already  forced  back  the  line,  and  now  the  Eleventh  corps 
having  left  him,  both  flanks  of  his  division  were  exposed. 
It  was  useless  to  protract  the  hopeless  struggle,  and  these 
sturdy  troops  also  fell  back,  retiring  slowly  and  firmly, 
while  the  rebels,  flushed  with  victory,  were  pouring  into 
front  and  flank  the  most  deadly  fire.  It  was  a  moment  of 
vital  importance  to  our  army  and  our  cause.  A  rout 
of  these  two  corps,  while  the  remaining  two-thirds  of  the 
army  was  separated  in  columns  far  distant  from  each  other, 
must  insure  the  destruction  of  each  column  in  detail,  and 
give  to  the  rebels  undisputed  sway  throughout  the  north. 
But  the  Christian  hero,  whose  empty  sleeve  testified 
of  hard  fought  fields  before,  was  still  sufficient  for  the 
crisis.  Halting  the  retreating  divisions  as  they  reached 
the  line  of  hills  upon  the  south  side  of  the  town,  and 
selecting  a  ridge  called  Cemetery  Hill  for  his  second  line 
of  battle,  he  reformed  his  disordered  ranks,  and  planting 
batteries  so  as  to  sweep  the  declivity  in  front  and  on  right 
and  left,  awaited  the  onset  of  the  victorious  hosts.  On 
they  came,  until  half  through  the  town,  when,  from  the 
whole  line  of  guns  on  the  crest,  burst  a  murderous  fire, 
from  which  the  assailants  staggered  in  consternation. 

The  tide  was  turned ;  for  now  a  part  of  Hancock's  Second 
corps  was  coming  up,  and  in  half  an  hour  the  rebels  retired, 
and  the  one-armed  general  was  master  of  the  situation. 


THE    LINE    OF    BATTLE    ARRANGED.  245 

But  the  day  had  been  a  fearful  one  for  the  two  corps. 

The  First  corps  had  lost  its  general,  loved  and  admired 
for  his  bravery.  Hundreds  from  the  ranks  of  the  corps, 
lay  beyond  the  village  stretched  in  death.  Of  those  who 
went  into  the  fight  in  the  morning,  but  one-half  remained. 

The  havoc  was  almost  as  fearful  in  the  Eleventh  corps. 
Hundreds  had  been  killed  and  a  greater  number  captured. 
Yet  there  was  no  faltering  among  those  veterans,  and  when, 
toward  evening,  the  Third  and  Twelfth  corps  arrived  upon 
the  field,  their  confidence  and  hope  rose,  and  all  now 
believed  that  our  army  was  yet  destined  to  achieve  a 
grand  victory. 

No  further  demonstrations  were  made  on  either  side 
that  night.  Each  party  was  gathering  its  strength  for 
the  grand  conflict.  Late  in  the  evening  General  Meade 
arrived  on  the  field,  and  with  General  Howard  proceeded 
to  inspect  the  ground,  and  make  arrangements  for  posting 
the  troops  of  the  army. 

The  Eleventh  corps  was  still  to  occupy  Cemetery  Hill, 
just  opposite  the  town.  Upon  a  knoll  to  the  right  of 
the  Eleventh  corps  was  the  First  corps,  and  still  farther, 
and  forming  the  extreme  right  of  the  army,  was  the 
Twelfth  corps,  General  Slocum.  On  the  left  of  Cemetery 
Hill,  occupying  the  extension  of  the  ridge  and  a  promi 
nent  hill,  Round  Top,  the  Third  corps,  General  Sickles, 
was  posted,  and  the  Second  corps,  General  Hancock. 
The  Fifth  corps  was  to  be  held  in  reserve  until  the  arrival 
of  the  Sixth  corps.  Thus  through  the  night,  the  two 
armies  lay  upon  their  arms,  each  watching  the  other,  to 
wake  to  a  contest  more  fearful  than  the  last. 

At  daylight  Thursday  morning,  July  2d,  the  rebel  skir 
mishers  opened  fire  upon  parts  of  our  lines  of  pickets, 
but  there  was  little  betokening  any  general  engagement. 
Occasionally  a  few  of  the  skirmishers  of  the  enemy,  would 
make  a  charge  upon  parts  of  our  line  forcing  back  the 


246  THE   SIXTH   COEPS   ON  THE   FIELD. 

pickets,  but  a  gun  from  some  one  of  our  batteries  would 
hastily  send  them  to  the  rear  again.  Doubtless  it  was  for 
the  purpose  of  disclosing  the  positions  of  our  batteries, 
that  their  dashes  were  made.  Thus  the  day  wore  on  until 
four  o'clock. 

General  Sickles,  with  the  Third  corps,  had  moved  out 
beyond  the  general  line  of  battle  nearly  a  mile,  and  had 
come  upon  the  advance  of  the  enemy,  where  Longstreet, 
with  one-third  of  the  rebel  army,  was  concentrating  his 
forces  against  the  left  flank,  with  the  hope  of  turning  it 
and  seizing  the  ridge. 

The  battle  opened  at  once.  Seven  batteries  of  artillery 
opened  upon  front  and  flank  of  the  exposed  corps,  and 
large  bodies  of  infantry  in  column  by  division.  The  corps 
withstood  the  shock  heroically,  and  was  soon  strengthened 
by  troops  from  the  Second  corps.  Our  artillery  now 
opened  upon  the  rebels  from  the  ridge,  and  hurled  destruc 
tion  upon  them.  The  valley  was  filled  with  bursting 
missiles,  and  the  smoke  rolled  up  in  huge  columns.  It 
was  at  this  stage  of  the  great  battle  that  the  Sixth  corps 
arrived  on  the  ground,  after  its  unparalleled  march,  and 
the  Fifth  corps  was  at  once  ordered  into  the  fight.  For  an 
hour  the  Sixth  corps  was  the  reserve  of  the  army,  but  even 
this  reserve  was  soon  called  into  action. 

The  writer,  while  our  corps  waited  for  orders,  rode  along 
the  front,  from  where  the  Second  and  Third  corps  were 
engaged  in  their  deadly  struggle  with  the  enemy,  across 
Cemetery  Ridge  and  to  the  hill  where,  on  the  right  of  the 
line,  Slocum  had  established  his  head-quarters,  and  he  will 
attempt  to  describe  the  field  as  he  saw  it. 

To  form  a  correct  idea  of  the  position  of  the  armies,  one 
should  imagine  two  ranges  of  hills,  between  which  was  the 
valley  and  the  village  of  Gettysburgh. 

These  ridges  are  nearly  parallel,  and  are  from  a  mile  to 
a  mile  and  a  half  asunder.  Their  course  is  not  a  direct 


CONFIGURATION   OF   THE   BATTLE-GROUND  247 

line  but  curving.  The  ridge  on  which  our  forces  are 
posted,  bend  outward  and  backward,  so  that  the  line  is  in 
the  form  of  a  half  circle,  fronting  from  the  center,  while 
the  rebels  were  forced  to  occupy  an  exterior  line  facing 
towards  the  center. 

At  Gettysburgh  several  roads  converge,  first,  on  the 
right  is  the  Baltimore  turnpike,  next  is  the  road  to  Taney- 
town,  and  further  to  the  left  is  the  Emmitsburgh  road. 
These  all  meet  at  Cemetery  Hill,  which  is  the  key  to  the 
whole  situation. 

Cemetery  Hill  is  in  the  center  of  a  range  of  hills  run 
ning  south  and  west  from  Gettysburgh,  and  considerably 
in  front  of  the  others.  Standing  upon  its  summit,  the  spec 
tator  looks  down  upon  the  village,  a  little  to  his  right  and 
upon  the  long  declivity  stretching  between  the  crest 
and  the  town. 

The  crest  of  this  ridge  is  bristling  with  batteries,  which 
are  so  arranged  as  to  sweep  the  declivity,  the  valley  below, 
and  the  opposite  range  of  hills.  Here,  by  the  side  of  the 
Baltimore  pike,  General  Howard  has  his  head-quarters, 
and  just  in  front  lie  long  lines  of  infantry,  who  wear  the 
crescent  badge,  which  distinguishes  the  Eleventh  corps. 

Stretching  to  the  left  and  rear,  Cemetery  Ridge  gradu 
ally  diminishes  in  elevation,  until  it  reaches  an  abrupt 
peak  which  rises  considerably  above  the  other  hills  of  the 
range.  This  is  Round  Top.  It  is  covered  with  timber  at 
its  summit,  its  sides  are  rugged,  and,  toward  the  enemy, 
quite  steep.  On  the  north  slope  of  Round  Top,  the 
Second  and  Third  corps  are  maintaining  the  unequal 
struggle  with  one-third  of  the  rebel  army.  The  roar  of 
musketry  is  awful  beyond  description,  and  the  whole  val 
ley  trembles  with  the  thunder  of  the  artillery.  On  the 
right  of  Cemetery  Ridge  is  another  elevation,  Slocum's 
Hill,  where  the  commander  of  the  Twelfth  corps  sits 
among  the  huge  fragments  of  rock,  watching  his  own  and 


248  THE   FIFTH   CORPS   TO   THE   RESCUE. 

the  enemy's  line  in  his  front,  and  where  is  another  battery, 
which  from  time  to  time  is  sending  its  screaming  messen 
gers  to  the  hills  beyond  or  across  a  little  stream  which 
winds  along  the  right  of  his  position. 

In  rear  of  Slocum's  Hill  is  a  little  whitewashed  cottage, 
surrounded  by  a  picket  fence.  There  are  two  or  three 
wall  tents  in  the  yard,  and  many  horses  are  tied  to  the 
fence.  This  is  the  head-quarters  of  the  army.  From  this 
point  General  Meade  is  directing  all  the  movements  of  the 
Union  forces. 

It  will  be  seen  that  our  troops  could  be  sent  from  one 
point  to  another  of  the  line,  easily  and  quickly,  while  the 
rebels,  who  occupied  the  exterior  of  the  circle,  must  make 
long  circuits  in  order  to  reinforce  one  part  of  the  field  with 
troops  from  another.  For  the  first  time  since  Malvern 
Hill,  our  forces  had  the  advantage  of  position. 

The  rebel  lines  which  had  so  fiercely  attacked  the  Third 
corps,  steadily  advanced,  pouring  destruction  before  them, 
while  the  two  corps,  unable  to  resist  the  weight  of  the 
advancing  columns,  steadily  fell  back.  At  the  moment 
that  the  Sixth  corps  reached  the  field,  the  Fifth  were  rush 
ing  to  the  assistance  of  the  wavering  lines  on  Round  Top. 
It  was  a  glorious  spectacle,  as  the  veteran  wearers  of  the 
St.  Andrew's  cross  rushed  along  the  rear  of  the  peak  and 
among  the  rocks,  at  double-quick,  and  then  suddenly  mov 
ing  by  the  flank,  formed  in  line  of  battle.  Through  the 
woods  and  down  the  slope  they  rush,  fall  upon  the  advanc 
ing  columns,  and  check  their  progress.  The  Union  line 
now  advance  upon  the  rebels,  who  fall  back  more.  Shot 
and  shells  pour  in  a  fearful  storm  from  the  rebel  batteries, 
sweeping  the  slope  of  Round  Top  and  the  crest  of  Ceme 
tery  Hill.  Here,  near  Howard's  quarters,  a  train  of 
ambulances  and  army  wagons  attract  the  fire  of  the 
enemy,  and  the  bursting  shells  soon  send  them  hurrying 
through  the  narrow  defile  in  the  rocks  through  which  the 


CHARGES  AND  COUNTER  CHARGES.          249 

road  passes,  panic  stricken.  For  more  than  two  hours 
the  desperate  battle  rages  on  the  left,  while  the  right, 
except  that  on  either  side  artillery  belches  forth  its  thun 
ders,  is  quiet.  The  Sixth  corps,  the  only  reserve  of  the 
army,  is  also  put  into  the  line  on  the  left ;  only  one  brigade, 
Neill's,  is  sent  to  the  right  to  reinforce  Slocum,  who  has 
also  sent  a  great  portion  of  his  corps  to  the  left,  and 
against  whom  the  rebels  are  now  charging.  The  doubtful 
contest  ceases  as  darkness  gathers  over  the  battle-field, 
leaving  the  rebels  still  in  possession  of  some  of  the  ground 
occupied  by  Sickles'  corps  at  four  o'clock. 

Both  armies  again  lay  upon  their  arms,  waiting  for  day 
light,  by  which  to  renew  the  contest.  The  losses  in  the 
Second  and  Third  corps  had  been  fearful,  and  scarcely 
less  were  those  of  the  Fifth.  From  our  own  Sixth  corps, 
there  were  many  killed  and  wounded,  but  compared  with 
these  others,  the  loss  was  slight.  General  Sickles  had 
been  wounded  early  in  the  fight,  and  suffered  amputation 
of  a  leg.  The  morning  of  July  3d  dawned  brightly,  and 
at  once  the  rattle  of  musketry  told  of  the  renewal  of 
strife.  On  the  right,  where  Slocum  with  a  single  division 
of  his  own  troops  and  our  Third  brigade  of  Howe's  divi 
sion,  Sixth  corps,  held  the  long  line,  an  attempt  was  made 
to  retake  the  rifle  pits  which  the  rebels  had  captured  yes 
terday.  The  rebels  in  turn  charged  furiously.  They  had 
possession  of  some  of  our  pits,  and  now  they  hoped  to  turn 
our  flank  and  rout  the  army ;  but  the  small  force  replied 
to  the  desperate  charge  of  the  whole  of  Ewell's  corps  with 
the  most  stubborn  resistance.  Charge  after  charge  was 
made,  but  to  no  avail.  At  length  Neill's  brigade  passed 
far  to  the  right  of  the  rebel  line,  and  poured  an  enfilading 
volley  into  the  gray-coats.  They,  supposing  that  a  heavy 
force  had  got  on  their  flank  withdrew,  when  our  forces 
charging  in  turn,  drove  them  with  great  loss  from  the  rifle 
pits,  which  were  held  during  the  remainder  of  the  engage- 
32 


250  THE    GRAND    CANNONADE. 

ment  in  spite  of  repeated  efforts  to  dislodge  our  forces. 
By  noon  quiet  prevailed  along  the  whole  line,  except  that 
now  and  then  a  shot  from  some  of  our  batteries  screamed 
across  the  valley,  but  eliciting  no  reply.  The  rebel  lines 
could  be  seen  moving  here  and  there  as  if  preparing  for  a 
desperate  struggle.  The  men  at  our  batteries  declared 
that  so  completely  had  they  got  the  range  of  the  other 
crests  that  the  rebels  dare  not  open  a  piece.  Little  did 
they  imagine  that  more  than  a  hundred  guns  were  concen 
trating  just  behind  the  little  strip  of  woods  below  them. 
This  unwonted  silence  continued  until  about  one  o'clock, 
when  suddenly,  as  though  pandemonium  had  broken  loose, 
the  air  was  filled  with  the  shrieks,  screams,  howls  and 
clangor  of  bursting  shells.  The  sky  was  filled  with  smoke, 
amid  which  flames  darted  in  every  direction,  and  the  val 
ley  and  hills  quaked  with  the  thunders  of  artillery.  Never 
on  this  continent  had  been  heard  such  cannonading  as  this. 
For  two  hours  this  storm  of  shell  and  shot  raged  in  all  its 
fury.  At  the  first  opening  of  the  storm,  parts  of  our  line 
were  forced  back,  but  they  quickly  advanced  again.  Horses 
and  men  fell  together,  mangled  and  torn  by  the  screaming 
missiles.  In  some  of  our  batteries  every  horse  was  des 
troyed,  and  the  men  drew  back  the  pieces  by  hand  to  save 
them  from  capture.  One  hundred  and  twenty-five  guns 
were  concentrated  against  our  left  center,  which  continued 
for  two  hours  to  belch  forth  death  and  destruction.  At 
length,  when  it  was  supposed  that  our  guns  were  silenced, 
and  our  infantry  confused  by  the  fearful  cannonade,  came 
the  expected  charge  of  infantry.  Longstreet's  corps, 
massed,  with  Picket's  division  in  front,  rushed  forward  with 
the  well  known  yells,  which  rang  above  the  clangor  of  mus 
ketry  and  artillery,  and  threw  themselves  with  utmost  fury 
upon  the  Union  lines.  Our  men  had  waited  the  onset  with 
unflinching  courage,  and  now  poured  into  the  assailants  a 
most  murderous  fire,  which  hurled  them  back  and  strewed 


THE   LAST   GRAND   ATTACK.  251 

the  ground  with  their  dead  and  dying.  Again,  with  the 
fierceness  of  desperation,  they  rush  forward,  and  again  are 
met  with  the  same  deadly  reception.  Hundreds  from  the 
attacking  columns,  in  order  to  escape  the  certain  doom, 
threw  down  their  arms  and  came  in  as  prisoners.  The 
tide  of  battle  lulled  for  a  time. 

Again  artillery  did  its  work  alone,  until  about  four 
o'clock,  when  the  last  desperate  charge  was  made,  the 
grand  effort  which  was  to  sweep  the  Union  lines  in  con 
fusion,  or  result  in  the  total  defeat  of  the  rebel  army. 

The  heavy  masses  swept  up  as  before,  with  the  despera 
tion  of  madness.  They  advanced  until  they  were  fairly 
on  our  lines,  and,  at  some  points,  actually  pushed  them 
back.  Then  they  were  met  with  enfilading  fires,  from 
which  the  carnage  exceeded  all  that  had  been  before. 
Nearly  the  whole  of  Picket's  division,  finding  itself  unable 
to  retreat  through  the  fiery  storm,  was  captured,  and  the 
remaining  divisions  reeled  back  in  confusion,  leaving 
the  ground  literally  covered  with  dead. 

This  decided  the  fate  of  the  battle.  The  enemy  had 
staked  all  upon  this  last  desperate  charge,  and  had  been 
hurled  back  in  confusion  and  with  enormous  losses. 

No  pursuit  was  attempted,  but,  although  the  rebels 
were  not  at  once  driven  from  their  position,  they  had 
suffered  a  terrible  defeat,  and  they  must  retreat  with  all 
speed  to  their  defenses  in  Virginia,  or  submit  to  the 
destruction  of  their  army.  Our  wounded  were  collected 
in  great  numbers  in  and  about  the  field  hospitals,  which 
were  composed  chiefly  of  hospital  tents,  some  farm  house 
with  its  large  barns,  serving  as  a  nucleus  for  each.  To 
these,  thousands  of  our  brave  comrades  were  brought 
with  mangled  limbs,  torn  bodies  or  bleeding  heads,  yet, 
notwithstanding  their  terrible  wounds,  exhibiting  their 
accustomed  heroism.  Long  trains  of  ambulances  were 
bringing  in  crowds  of  poor  fellows  with  arms  or  legs  torn 


252  UNION   AND   KEBEL   WOUNDED. 

to  shreds,  yet  who  never  uttered  a  word  of  complaint,  and 
who,  indeed,  appeared  cheerful,  and  some  even  gay. 

In  this  respect  there  was  the  greatest  contrast  between 
the  wounded  of  the  Union  and  the  rebel  armies.  A  Union 
soldier,  if  so  severely  wounded  that  he  could  by  no  possi 
bility  assume  a  cheerful  countenance,  would  shut  his  teeth 
close  together  and  say  nothing.  While  a  rebel,  if  he 
could  boast  of  only  a  flesh  wound,  would  whine  and  cry 
like  a  sick  child.  One  unaccustomed  to  such  scenes  as 
can  only  be  witnessed  about  a  field  hospital  in  time  of 
battle,  would  be  filled  with  astonishment  at  the  stoical 
bravery  manifested  by  the  northern  troops.  If  one  had 
passed  along  where  our  men  were  lying  in  rows,  he  would 
only  now  and  then  have  heard  a  groan  escape  from  some 
poor  fellow  who  had  received  a  bullet  through  the  abdomen 
or  some  such  fatal  and  painful  wound.  But  let  a  group  of 
wounded  rebels  be  placed  in  some  part  of  the  hospital,  and 
their  groans  were  heartrending.  This  contrast  is  not  over 
drawn.  Every  surgeon  who  has  had  opportunities  to 
observe  the  difference  in  the  bearing  of  wounded  men  of 
the  two  armies,  can  testify  to  the  greater  heroism  of  the 
northern  soldier  at  such  times. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

PURSUIT  OF  LEE'S  ARMY. 

Scenes  of  the  field  of  Gettysburgh  — The  rebel  hospitals  — The  sightless  rebel  soldier 
boy— The  Sixth  corps  at  Fairfield  — " Hurrah  for  the  Union"  — Kilpatrick's 
handiwork— At  Waynesboro' —  On  picket— A  division  of  militia— The  Ver- 
monters  at  Funkstown  —  The  army  at  Funkstown  —  Meade's  failure  to  attack— 
New  York  riots  — Keturn  to  Virginia. 

THE  battle  was  over  and  the  invading  army  which  had 
suffered  such  a  crushing  defeat,  had  only  to  gather  up 
its  shattered  remnants  and  hastily  retrace  its  steps  south 
ward.  We  were  in  no  condition  to  renew  immediate 
hostilities.  Every  man  and  every  gun  had  been  brought 
into  service.  Never  before  had  all  of  our  army  been 
fought  at  once.  At  Gettysburgh,  every  man  of  the  infantry 
reserve,  and  every  gun  of  the  reserve  artillery  had  been 
brought  into  action.  The  men  were  exhausted  by  their 
tedious  marches  and  hard  fighting,  while  our  ammunition 
was  well  nigh  spent. 

During  the  night  of  the  4th  of  July,  Lee's  army 
retreated,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  5th,  our  Sixth  corps, 
Sedgwick's  cavalry  as  the  corps  was  called,  was  sent  in 
pursuit  on  the  Fairfield  road.  The  battle-field  was  hor 
rible.  Dead  men  were  thickly  strewed  over  the  fields 
with  their  faces  blackened,  and  eyes  starting  from  their 
sockets ;  and  upturned,  swollen  horses  lay,  sometimes  in 
groups  of  six  or  eight,  showing  where  some  battery  had 
suffered  fearfully.  As  we  passed  the  scene  of  the  conflict 
on  the  left,  at  the  foot  of  Round  Top,  was  a  scene  more  than 
usually  hideous.  Blackened  ruins  marked  the  spot  where, 
on  the  morning  of  the  third,  stood  a  large  barn.  It  had 
been  used  as  a  hospital.  It  had  taken  fire  from  the  shells 


254  THE   EEBEL   HOSPITALS. 

of  the  hostile  batteries,  and  had  quickly  burned  to  the 
ground.  Those  of  the  wounded  not  able  to  help  them 
selves  were  destroyed  by  the  flames,  which  in  a  moment 
spread  through  the  straw  and  dry  material  of  the  building. 
The  crisped  and  blackened  limbs,  heads  and  other  portions 
of  bodies  lying  half  consumed  among  the  heaps  of  ruins 
and  ashes,  made  up  one  of  the  most  ghastly  pictures  ever 
witnessed,  even  on  the  field  of  battle.  But  we  passed  these 
direful  scenes  to  meet  with  others  of  less  shocking  but 
still  sad  character.  Every  house  and  barn  from  Gettys- 
burgh  to  Fairfield  was  a  hospital ;  and  about  most  of  the 
large  barns,  numbers  of  dilapidated  hospital  tents  served 
to  increase  the  accommodations  for  the  wounded. 

All  of  the  worst  cases  were  left  in  these  hospitals,  the 
number  being  estimated,  by  the  rebel  surgeons  in  charge, 
at  no  less  than  fifteen  thousand.  Never  had  we  witnessed 
such  sad  scenes  as  we  were  passing  through  to-day.  The 
confederate  surgeons  were  doing  what  they  could  for  their 
wounded,  but  they  were  destitute  of  medicines  and  surgi 
cal  appliances,  and  even  food  sufficient  to  supply  those  in 
their  charge.  At  one  of  these  barns  some  of  our  officers 
stopped,  and  as  they  passed  among  the  gray-clad  sufferers 
who  were  lying  in  rows  upon  the  barn  floors,  one,  a  boy 
apparently  not  more  than  sixteen  years  of  age,  attracted 
the  notice  of  one  of  the  company,  a  surgeon.  The  lad 
looked  more  like  a  delicate  girl  than  a  soldier;  his  hair 
fell  from  his  fair  forehead  in  long  flaxen  curls  upon  his 
pillow  of  straw,  some  of  them  matted  with  blood ;  his  cheek 
was  rosy,  and  his  soft  white  hand  told  of  a  youth  spent 
amid  more  tender  scenes  than  those  of  the  camp.  A  piece 
of  linen  laid  across  his  face  covered  a  ghastly  wound 
where  a  ball  had  passed  through  his  face,  and  had  torn 
both  his  eyes  from  their  sockets. 

The  surgeon  spoke  a  kind  word  to  the  youth,  who 
stretched  out  his  hand,  saying,  "  Come  near  me,  I  want 


AN   AFFECTING   INCIDENT.  255 

to  touch  you."  The  doctor  stooped  over  him,  and  the  boy, 
pressing  his  hand  in  his  own,  said,  "  You  are  a  friend,  are 
you  not  ? "  "  Yes,  I  am  a  friend  to  all  the  unfortunate." 
"But  are  you  not  a  confederate?"  "No."  The  boy 
clung  to  the  hand  of  the  surgeon  in  silence  for  a  moment, 
and  then  said  slowly,  "  I  did  not  think  a  federal  would 
speak  so  kindly  to  me ;  your  voice  sounds  like  that  of  a 
friend,  and  your  hand  feels  like  one ;  will  you  not  stay 
with  me  ?"  When  the  other  told  him  that  he  must  follow 
his  command,  he  replied :  "  Oh !  I  shall  never  hear  any  one 
speak  so  kindly  to  me  again ;  my  mother  lives  in  North 
Carolina,  but  she  will  not  see  me.  Can  you  not  stay?" 
The  doctor  was  far  from  being  a  rebel  sympathizer,  yet  he 
turned  away  from  the  poor  boy,  with  a  sad  face  and  a 
deep  drawn  sigh,  to  join  the  moving  column. 

Early  next  morning  we  passed  through  the  somewhat 
dilapidated  village  of  Fairfield.  Our  advance  threw  a  few 
shells  down  the  street,  scattering  a  body  of  cavalry,  which 
had  been  left  in  town,  and  killing  some  of  the  horses 
attached  to  their  battery.  A  mile  beyond  the  town  the 
South  Mountain  range  rose  in  our  front,  the  road  running 
through  a  narrow  pass.  Here  the  rear  guard  of  the  rebel 
army  was  strongly  posted.  Neill's  and  the  Jersey  brigade 
advanced  against  the  rebel  skirmishers,  but  after  losing 
some  six  or  eight  men  they  were  ordered  to  halt.  General 
Sedgwick  deeming  the  position  too  strong  to  assault  with 
his  corps  from  the  front,  reported  to  General  Meade  that  the 
pass  was  very  strong,  and  one  in  which  a  small  force  of 
the  enemy  could  hold  in  check  for  a  considerable  time,  a 
force  much  larger  than  its  own.  The  main  body  of  the 
army,  therefore,  was  moved  around  their  flank  by  way  of 
Frederick ;  while  Neill's  brigade,  with  Colonel  Mclntosh's 
brigade  of  cavalry  and  two  light  batteries,  all  under  com 
mand  of  General  Neill,  were  made  to  form  a  flying  division 
to  harass  the  enemy  in  the  rear. 


256  HURRAH   FOR  THE   UNION. 

Our  march  over  the  mountain  that  day  was  by  a  wild, 
romantic  route,  than  which  none  more  charming  could  be 
asked  by  tourist  in  search  of  nature's  wildest  moods. 
Before  each  little  log  house  by  the  roadside  would  stand  a 
wondering  group,  astonished  at  seeing  such  multitudes  of 
men  in  those  secluded  regions,  where  scarcely  a  dozen  trav 
elers  usually  passed  in  a  week.  At  one  place,  as  the  column 
was  passing  a  cottage  half  hidden  by  sunflowers  and  flow 
ering  beans,  those  at  the  head  of  the  column  were  heard 
cheering  heartily ;  and,  as  we  advanced,  other  voices  took 
up  the  cheer,  exciting  the  curiosity  of  those  behind.  In 
the  midst  of  the  noise,  sounded  a  shrill  voice ;  and  as  we 
approached,  we  saw,  sitting  upon  the  fence  in  front  of  the 
cottage,  a  little  boy,  about  four  years  old,  his  face"  flushed 
with  excitement,  his  flaxen  hair  flying  in  the  wind,  as  he 
was  waving  his  little  hat,  and  with  childlike  indistinctness 
shouting  in  his  shrill  tones,  "Hurrah  for  'e  Union  !  Hurrah 
for  'e  Union !" 

Soon  those  in  the  rear  of  the  line  heard  those  ahead 
shouting  again,  and  another  shrill  voice  was  heard  between 
the  cheers  of  the  men.  There  by  the  roadside  stood  an  old 
man,  over  whom  more  than  eighty  years  had  passed,  with 
voice  indistinct  with  the  tremor  of  age,  all  excited  as  the 
little  boy  had  been,  his  hair  tossed  about  by  the  breeze,  as 
with  hat  swinging  he  too  was  shouting,  "  Hurrah  for  the 
Union !  Hurrah  for  the  Union !"  And  the  cheers  of 
the  multitude  again  rang  in  response  to  the  old  man's  shout. 
We  could  but  note  the  similarity  and  the  disparity.  One 
vaguely  dreamed  of  those  blessings  which  the  other  had 
fully  realized,  and  for  which  he  had  struggled ;  and  the 
same  shout  was  lifted  up  by  those  two  children — the  one 
of  four,  and  the  other  of  fourscore — the  one  with  the  flaxen 
curls  of  childhood,  and  the  other  with  the  white  locks  of 
age — the  one  voice  with  the  shrill  treble  of  infancy,  and 
the  other  with  the  high-keyed  tones  of  decrepitude.  Those 


KILPATKICK'S  HANDIWORK.  257 

people,  who  had  seen  the  rebel  army  pass  a  few  hours 
before,  now  felt  the  value  of  the  Union. 

On  the  summit  of  the  mountain  we  passed  Monterey 
Springs,  a  charming  summer  retreat,  where  the  Pennsyl- 
vanians  resort  to  indulge  in  the  sports  of  trout-fishing  and 
deer-hunting.  Passing  down  the  western  slope  of  the 
mountain,  the  handiwork  of  Kilpatrick  was  strewed  along 
the  roadside  for  miles.  As  the  battle  of  Gettysburgh  drew 
to  a  close,  and  General  Meade  knew  that  Lee  must  retreat 
toward  Virginia,  he  had  sent  the  dashing  Kilpatrick  with 
his  brigade  of  cavalry  to  harass  the  rebels  in  their  flight. 
Reaching  these  mountains,  the  cavalry  had  come  upon  a 
long  rebel  train  of  wagons  and  ambulances,  hastening  with 
all  speed,  with  their  lading  of  stolen  goods  and  provisions 
and  their  wounded  men,  towards  the  Potomac.  With  shouts 
and  cheers  the  horsemen  dashed  from  the  cover  of  the  woods, 
upon  the  flying  train,  shot  the  leading  horses  and  mules, 
captured  the  drivers  and  remaining  animals,  appropriated 
the  stolen  goods  to  their  own  use,  and  burned  the  wagons. 
Now,  as  we  marched  down  the  forest  road,  the  wildness 
of  the  scene  was  heightened  by  the  remains  of  the  ruined 
wagons  which  lined  the  wayside,  some  burned,  some  with 
the  wheels  disabled  by  cutting  the  spokes,  others  tumbled 
off  the  steep  embankment.  For  more  than  three  miles, 
these  remnants  of  the  rebel  trains  met  our  view. 

It  was  near  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  when  the 
column,  the  army  under  General  Neill,  descended  into 
the  beautiful  Cumberland  valley,  and  arrived  at  the  vil 
lage  of  Waynesboro.  The  people  gave  our  little  army  a 
joyous  reception,  and  we  encamped  at  a  little  distance 
from  the  village.  One  regiment,  the  Seventy-seventh,  was 
sent  on  picket  on  the  banks  of  the  Antietam  creek,  and  so 
pleasant  was  the  duty  that  the  regiment  petitioned  to  be 
allowed  to  remain  until  the  army  moved,  to  which  request 
General  Neill  very  graciously  assented.  Our  picketing  on 
33 


258  PICKETING    ON   THE    ANTIETAM. 

the  Antietam  became  one  of  the  bright  sports  in  the 
history  of  our  campaigning.  We  were  a  mile  in  advance 
of  the  other  troops,  and  the  picket  line  was  two  miles  long, 
so  that  we  were  not  at  all  crowded.  The  weather  was  fine, 
the  country  delightful,  and  the  people  kind  and  hospitable. 
The  most  friendly  relations  sprang  up  at  once  between 
the  people  and  the  soldiers,  the  inhabitants  supplying  the 
boys  with  luxuries,  and  taking  them  into  their  houses  as 
welcome  guests,  the  soldiers  on  their  part  guarding  the 
people  against  the  depredations  of  stragglers  and  militia. 

The  grain  was  ripe  for  the  harvest,  and  the  farmers 
were  short  of  help ;  but  the  boys  laid  aside  their  guns, 
and  swung  the  cradle  and  the  scythe  with  a  zest  that 
showed  that  they  worked  with  a  good  will.  Day  after 
day  the  boys  of  the  Seventy-seventh  reaped  and  bound  in 
the  fields,  Avhile  the  good  ladies  worked  day  and  night  to 
make  bread  and  cakes  for  the  veterans,  who  had  so  long 
been  accustomed  to  diet  on  pork  and  hard  tack.  Soft 
bread,  milk,  poultry  and  the  staple  luxury  of  Pennsyl 
vania,  apple  butter,  was  a  glorious  improvement  on  the 
usual  bill  of  camp  fare,  and  kind  sympathizing  Union 
people  were  much  better  calculated  to  render  our  stay 
among  them  agreeable,  than  the  bitter  rebels  among  whom 
we  had  so  long  been. 

The  left  wing  of  our  extended  picket  line  was  tinder 
command  of  Major  Babcock,  who,  with  the  line  officers 
of  his  part  of  the  picket,  established  head-quarters  at  the 
house  of  a  miller,  whose  comfortable  rooms  and  well  filled 
larder  afforded  substantial  inducements  to  our  friends; 
but  the  great  attractions  at  the  miller's  house  were  doubt 
less  the  three  charming  daughters,  whose  merry  faces  and 
bewitching  eyes  rejoiced  the  hearts  of  our  gay  major 
and  his  associates.  Word  came  to  the  right  of  the  line 
that  our  friends  on  the  left  were  in  the  enjoyment  of  far 
more  than  the  usual  allowance  of  pleasure  for  men  on 


A   JOVIAL   BAND.  259 

picket,  and  thither  started  the  colonel  and  the  doctor,  and 
our  friend,  Colonel  Connor,  of  the  Seventh  Maine,  to 
investigate  the  matter.  Riding  through  a  lovely  region, 
now  rising  to  the  summit  of  some  gentle  eminence,  from 
whence  they  could  look  away  upon  the  surrounding 
country,  its  rich  fields  of  grain  ready  for  the  harvest,  its 
charming  groves  of  oak,  and  its  neat  farm  houses,  making 
up  a  most  delightful  landscape,  now  descending  into 
some  green  valley  where  babbling  brooks  danced  over 
pebbly  beds,  and  now  reining  up  to  listen  to  the  complaint 
of  some  cottagers,  who  said  that  "  the  militia  were  robbing 
them  of  their  pigs  and  their  poultry,  and  but  for  the 
old  soldiers,  who  were  perfect  gentlemen,  they  would  be 
stripped  of  everything  they  had ;"  now  fording  the  bright 
waters  of  the  Antietam,  and  anon  halting  to  converse 
with  some  group  of  men  who  were  reclining  beneath  the 
shadow  of  some  clump  of  chestnuts  or  oaks,  doing  picket 
duty  as  amateurs,  the  party  at  length  arrived  at  the 
miller's  house,  nestled  in  a  pleasant  grove  by  the  side 
of  the  beautiful  river.  Here  was  the  major,  and  here  were 
the  happy  line  officers,  and  here  was  the  main  reserve 
of  the  left  wTing  of  the  picket,  all  exhibiting  the  most 
abundant  good  humor.  Here,  also,  they  found  our  chap 
lain,  and  Chaplain  Osborn,  of  the  Forty-third  New  York. 
It  was  evident,  at  a  glance,  that  the  reports  of  gay  soldier 
ing  which  had  reached  the  right  of  the  line  were  in  no 
way  exaggerated.  The  miller  took  the  horses,  and  the 
party  was  ushered  into  the  house,  when  the  good  lady  and 
her  merry  daughters  welcomed  them  heartily.  The  miller 
brought  out  his  best  wines  and  his  biggest  apples.  The 
ladies  were  smiling,  the  wines  were  good,  and  the  apples 
delicious,  and  the  hearts  of  the  soldiers  were  gladdened. 
The  ladies  retired,  leaving  the  gentlemen  in  possession  of 
the  airy  sitting-room.  They  sung  Old  Hundred,  and  Cor 
onation,  and  Lenox,  and  Cambridge.  Now  our  friend, 


260  AT     WAYNESBORO. 

Colonel  Connor,  would  lead  off  in  a  rollicking  soldiers' 
song;  then  our  chaplain  would  follow  with  "Benny 
Havens,  Oh ! "  and  all  would  join  in  the  chorus.  Chap 
lain  Osborn,  of  the  Forty-third,  could  tell  a  good  story, 
and  relish  a  glass  of  wine ;  and  so  they  passed  a  happy 
hour,  singing  and  chatting,  till  called  to  dinner,  where 
the  long  table  was  loaded  from  the  abundance  of  the 
miller's  stores.  Dinner  over,  the  company  strolled  among 
the  fruit  trees  and  along  the  banks  of  the  river;  but 
at  length,  as  an  end  must  come  to  all  pleasures,  our 
party,  who  had  left  the  right  of  the  line  in  the  morning, 
galloped  back  to  their  quarters,  satisfied  that  picket  duty 
was  not  necessarily  the  most  vexatious  in  the  service. 

The  Forty-ninth  was  provost  guard  for  the  town,  and  a 
merry  time  the  men  had  of  it.  Here  in  the  principal 
hotel,  General  Neill  established  his  head-quarters,  and  in 
regal  style  amid  flowers  and  fruits  he  received  the  homage 
of  the  citizens  and  soldiers.  The  remaining  regiments  of 
the  brigade  were  stationed  in  a  lovely  grove  half  way 
between  the  town  and  the  picket  line.  They  lounged  in 
the  shade  of  their  beautiful  camp,  or  strolled  to  the  village 
or  to  the  picket  line  on  the  Antietam.  They  purchased 
from  the  people  fruit  and  bread,  apple  butter  and  other 
luxuries,  enjoying  a  pleasant  respite  from  labors,  while  the 
Forty-ninth  guarded  the  town  and  the  Seventy-seventh 
the  river.  But  notwithstanding  all  the  pleasures  of  this 
bright  episode  in  our  campaign,  the  boys  were  not  without 
a  source  of  annoyance. 

Soon  after  our  arrival  at  Waynesboro,  we  were  joined  by 
a  large  division  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  militia, 
under  our  old  commander  General  W.  F.  Smith,  who  still 
held  a  prominent  place  in  the  affections  of  the  boys.  The 
militia  was  composed  mostly  of  young  gentlemen  who  had 
left  their  places  behind  the  counter  or  at  the  desk,  for  the 
double  purpose  of  lending  their  aid  to  their  country 


A   MILITIA   DIVISION.  261 

in  its  hour  of  need,  and  of  enjoying  a  month  of  what 
they  hoped  would  be  amateur  soldiering. 

On  the  evening  of  their  arrival,  they  were  all  complain 
ing  bitterly  of  the  terrible  marches  they  had  endured,  and 
swore  they  would  shoot  the  general  if  they  ever  got  into 
a  fight.  They  had  marched  all  the  way  from  Harrisburgh, 
to  which  point  they  had  been  brought  in  cars,  at  the  rate 
of  from  eight  to  fifteen  miles  a  day !  In  addition  to  the 
severe  marches,  they  had  been  subjected  to  great  priva 
tions  ;  many  of  them  had  not  tasted  any  butter  for  more 
than  a  week,  and  nearly  all  declared  that  they  had  abso 
lutely  nothing  to  eat  for  several  days.  The  writer,  who 
listened  to  these  grevious  complaints  from  some  who  had 
been  his  friends  in  civil  life,  pointed  to  their  trains  of 
wagons  loaded  with  boxes  of  hard  bread.  "  What," 
replied  the  militia-men,  "  You  don't  expect  us  to  eat  that 
hard  tack  do  you?" 

These  regiments  of  militia  were  undisciplined  and  unac 
customed  to  the  hard  fare  of  the  soldier's  life,  and  the 
majority  of  the  men  took  to  plundering  the  inhabitants 
of  the  neighboring  country,  and  perpetrating  other  depre 
dations  equally  dishonorable  in  the  eyes  of  the  old  soldiers. 
As  the  veterans  constituted  the  picket  and  the  guard  of 
the  town,  and  were  intrusted  to  guard  many  of  the  houses 
of  the  citizens  outside  of  the  village,  they  found  great 
annoyance  in  attempting  to  resist  the  incursions  of  the 
militia,  and  rather  frequent  collisions  resulted,  in  which 
the  old  soldiers  usually  got  the  best  of  the  encounter. 

The  citizens  very  soon  learned  to  look  upon  the  veterans 
as  their  friends  and  their  protectors,  while  they  regarded 
with  dread  any  squad  of  soldiers  that  might  approach,  if 
they  were  clad  in  new  uniforms. 

But,  on  the  llth  of  July,  we  drew  in  our  picket  line, 
the  brigade  assembled,  and  at  dark  the  troops,  veterans 
and  militia,  were  fording  the  Antietam,  the  water  nearly 


262  A   THTJNDEK-STORM. 

to  their  waists.  "We  inarched  rapidly  all  night,  halting  at 
a  place  called  Leytirsburgh.  At  daylight  next  morning, 
we  were  again  marching.  The  day  was  extremely  hot, 
and  large  numbers  of  the  men  fell  by  the  wayside  from 
sun-stroke.  At  Smithville  we  fell  in  with  the  First  corps, 
which  was  moving  towards  Hagerstown,  and  the  hearts  of 
the  men  were  gladdened  by  the  sight  of  the  old  familiar 
flags  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  We  had  been  absent 
from  the  main  body  of  the  army  for  a  week,  and  it  seemed 
now  as  though  we  had  fallen  in  with  old  friends  from  whom 
we  had  been  long  separated.  Falling  in  the  rear  of  the 
First  corps,  we  marched  toward  Hagerstown.  At  2  o'clock 
a  most  terrific  thunder-storm  arose,  such  as  had  never  over 
taken  our  army,  even  in  Virginia.  Huge  black  clouds  rose 
from  the  north  and  from  the  west  and  south,  and  meeting 
overhead  poured  down  great  volumes  of  water,  until  the 
road  through  which  we  were  marching,  and  which  was 
bordered  by  high  banks  on  either  side,  was  filled  with  a 
mad  torrent  which  reached  to  the  knees,  and  in  places  to 
the  waists  of  the  men.  At  sunset  we  reached  Funkstown, 
where  the  main  body  of  our  corps  was  in  line  of  battle, 
having  yesterday  met  the  rebels  and  driven  them  more 
than  a  mile.  Our  friends  of  the  Vermont  brigade  had, 
as  usual,  given  a  good  account  of  themselves;  and  the 
head-boards  of  pine,  here  and  there  among  the  trees, 
showed  that  the  victory  had  not  been  gained  without  a 
struggle. 

In  marching  from  Boonsboro'  towards  Funkstown,  the 
Vermont  brigade  in  advance  of  the  corps,  the  little  stream, 
Beaver  Creek,  was  passed,  and  General  Howe  found 
Buford's  cavalry  in  his  advance  holding  a  strong  position 
against  the  skirmishers  of  the  rebel  infantry.  At  General 
Buford's  request,  General  Howe  sought  and  obtained  per 
mission  to  send  the  Vermont  brigade  to  relieve  the  cavalry. 
Colonel  Lewis  with  his  Fifth  Vermont  and  part  of  the 


THE   VERMONT   BRIGADE   AT   FUNKSTOWN.  263 

Second,  and  Colonel  Barney  with  the  Sixth  regiment,  at 
once  deployed  as  skirmishers,  forming  their  line  two  miles 
long.  The  Third  and  Fourth  regiments  were  supporting 
a  battery,  and  the  balance  of  the  Second  was  held  in 
reserve.  They  saw  the  rebel  infantry  approach  a  strip  of 
woods  in  front,  and  at  once  advanced  and  occupied  it 
themselves.  Against  this  long  thin  line  of  skirmishers, 
the  rebels  opened  a  severe  fire  of  artillery  and  musketry, 
and  advanced  to  drive  the  skirmishers  from  their  position ; 
but  the  brave  mountaineers  never  dreaming  that  a  Sixth 
corps  skirmish  line  could  not  hold  a  rebel  line  of  battle,  reso 
lutely  refused  to  leave  and  sent  the  presumptious  rebel  line 
of  battle  to  the  rear  in  confusion ;  not,  however,  until  Colonel 
Stoughton  with  the  Fourth  and  Colonel  Seaver  with  the 
Third,  came  forward  to  the  support  of  the  Fifth  and  Sixth. 
Again,  the  rebels,  disgusted  at  being  repulsed  by  a  skir 
mish  line,  came  up  in  several  lines  of  battle  and  charged 
upon  the  Yermonters  and  they  again  went  to  the  rear  in 
confusion.  A  third  charge  was  made  against  the  obstinate 
skirmish  line,  and  a  third  time  the  attack  was  broken. 
Meanwhile  a  strong  force  attempting  to  cross  the  Antietam 
and  come  in  on  the  flank,  was  repelled  by  the  Second 
Vermont. 

The  gallant  brigade  had  repelled  Anderson's  brigade,  of 
seven  large  regiments,  from  its  front,  and  another  from  its 
flank. 

An  instance  of  a  skirmish  line,  a  mile  and  a  half  from 
any  support,  resisting  repeated  attacks  of  troops  in  line 
of  battle,  is  rarely  found  in  the  history  of  armies. 

The  men  used  from  sixty  to  eighty  rounds  of  cartridge, 
and  when  the  first  supply  was  exhausted,  a  fresh  one  was 
brought  to  the  front  on  stretchers. 

The  victory  cost  the  brigade  a  loss  of  nine  men  killed 
and  fifty-nine  wounded,  while  the  enemy  lost  more  than 
two  hundred  men. 


264  THE    ARMY   AT   FUNKSTOWN. 

The  men  of  Neill's  brigade  were  rejoiced  to  find  them 
selves  once  more  with  the  glorious  old  corps,  and  when  their 
brigade  flag,  bearing  the  insignia  of  the  Greek  cross,  was 
once  more  thrown  to  the  breeze,  it  was  greeted  with  vocifer 
ous  cheers.  Brisk  skirmishing  was  going  on  along  the  line, 
and  frequent  charges  were  made  by  our  Union  pickets 
upon  the  rebel  line,  which  usually  resulted  in  the  capture 
of  a  greater  or  less  number  of  the  enemy's  pickets.  All 
things  indicated  a  great  battle  on  the  morrow.  The  two 
armies  were  facing  each  other  in  a  line  in  front  of  Hagers- 
town,  near  a  hamlet  called  Funkstown,  the  line  of  battle 
extending  several  miles.  The  rebels  had  occupied  the 
higher  grounds,  and  had  thrown  up  strong  earthworks  to 
dispute  our  progress.  Night  came  on  with  rain,  and  all 
expected  to  be  roused  early  by  the  sound  of  battle.  But 
morning  came  and  passed,  and  the  day  wore  on  with  little 
activity  on  our  part.  Here  and  there  skirmishers  kept  up 
a  rattle  of  musketry,  but  no  general  engagement  came  on. 
Much  as  the  veterans,  who  knew  too  well  the  risks  of 
battle,  usually  dreaded  a  general  engagement,  this  time 
there  seemed  a  universal  desire,  on  the  part  of  the  men, 
now  to  strike  a  blow  which  should  destroy  their  adversaries 
before  they  should  be  able  to  cross  the  river  again. 

Deserters  and  prisoners  from  the  rebel  army  represented 
it  in  a  deplorable  condition ;  and  the  men  of  the  ranks  in 
our  army  believed  that  this  was  the  grand  opportunity  for 
striking  a  final  blow.  And  notwithstanding  the  assertion 
of  general  officers  that  the  Potomac  was  so  swollen  as  to 
prevent  the  crossing  of  the  rebel  army,  there  were  few 
privates  in  our  ranks  who  were  not  ready  to  declare  that, 
unless  we  gave  battle  at  once,  the  prey  would  surely  escape. 
Thus,  as  the  day  wore  on,  great  dissatisfaction  was  expressed 
all  along  the  ranks — men  openly  and  freely  cursing  the 
hesitancy  which  held  them  back,  as  they  believed,  from  a 
certain  victory.  So,  when  they  arose  on  the  morning  of 


KILPATKICK   AT   FALLING    WATERS.  265 

the  1 4th,  to  find  that  there  was  no  enemy  in  our  front, 
they  were  more  incensed  than  surprised.  There  was  cer 
tainly  a  very  general  ill-feeling  pervading  our  army  at  this 
easy  escape  of  the  rebel  army,  which  even  the  glorious 
news  of  Vicksburg  and  Port  Hudson  failed  to  pacify. 

Brisk  firing  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Potomac,  however, 
warned  us  that  there  were  still  rebels  enough  left  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river  to  offer  some  resistance.  We  learned, 
late  in  the  day,  that  the  firing  was  caused  by  a  brilliant 
charge  of  Kilpatrick's  cavalry  upon  the  rear  guard  of  the 
rebels  at  Falling  Waters,  where  they  captured  several 
hundreds  of  prisoners;  thus  adding  one  more  brilliant 
success  to  their  many  daring  achievements  during  this 
campaign.  Marching  until  nightfall,  we  reached  Williams- 
port,  and  encamped  very  near  the  spot  that  had  been  our 
resting-place  on  a  former  occasion,  nearly  a  year  before. 

Why  General  Lee  and  his  army  were  allowed  to  cross 
the  Potomac  unmolested,  we  do  not  attempt  to  explain ; 
nor  do  we  condemn  the  determination  of  General  Meade 
not  to  give  battle.  When  men  of  such  well-known  mili 
tary  ability  and  bravery  as  General  Sedgwick  advise  against 
a  movement,  it  may  be  well  to  hesitate ;  yet  it  will  doubt 
less  be  the  verdict  of  history,  that  the  hesitancy  of  General 
Meade  at  this  time  was  his  great  mistake. 

A  hard  march  on  the  15th  brought  the  Sixth  corps  to 
Boonsboro',  where  our  Second  division  encamped  on  pre 
cisely  the  same  ground  that  we  had  occupied  on  the  31st 
of  October  last.  Neill's  brigade  made  the  march  at  a 
breakneck  pace,  leaving  the  Vermonters  far  to  the  rear, 
who  declared  that  the  recent  associations  of  the  former  with 
the  cavalry  had  transformed  them  into  a  flying  brigade. 
While  resting  here,  a  large  body  of  rebel  prisoners  was 
marched  past.  They  were  mostly  those  who  had  been 
captured  by  Kilpatrick's  men  at  Falling  Waters.  The 
rebels  were  hungry  and  destitute  of  rations.  Our  men  at 
34 


266  NEW   YORK   EIOTS. 

once  divided  their  rations  of  hard  bread  and  coffee  with 
them,  who,  officers  and  all,  declared  that  it  was  the  best 
meal  they  had  enjoyed  for  several  days,  and  expressed 
themselves  greatly  pleased  with  the  generosity  of  their 
guardians. 

Notwithstanding  our  glorious  success  at  Gettysburgh, 
and  the  good  news  from  the  west,  we  were  now  hearing 
news  that  made  our  hearts  sick,  and  caused  the  cheeks  of 
the  New  York  soldiers  to  burn  for  the  disgrace  of  their 
native  State.  It  was  a  source  of  the  deepest  mortification 
to  the  brave  New  Yorkers,  to  feel  that  their  own  State 
and  the  great  metropolis  had  been  outraged  by  the  most 
disgraceful  riot  that  had  ever  stained  the  annals  of  any 
State  or  city  in  the  Union,  all  for  the  purpose  of  over 
awing  the  government  in  its  efforts  to  subdue  the  rebellion. 
Our  companions  from  other  States,  with  the  generosity 
that  characterizes  soldiers,  never  derided  us  with  this  dis 
grace,  but  alluded  to  the  riot  as  an  uprising  of  foreigners, 
who  had  for  the  moment  overpowered  the  native  element. 
Even  the  fact  that  the  governor  of  that  great  State  had, 
in  the  midst  of  these  terrible  scenes,  addressed  the  mis 
creants  as  his  "  friends,"  was  alluded  to  with  a  delicacy 
that  won  our  hearts. 

It  was  one  of  the  pleasant  indications  of  a  union  of 
hearts  as  well  as  of  States,  that  the  soldiers  of  our  sister 
States  looked  upon  these  riots  in  the  light  of  a  general 
calamity,  rather  than  a  disgrace  to  a  particular  State. 

Crossing  the  South  Mountain  range,  from  Boonsboro'  to 
Middletown,  the  Sixth  corps  reached  Petersville,  three  or 
four  miles  north  of  Berlin,  where  the  army  was  to  cross 
the  Potomac.  Here,  nearly  the  whole  army  was  crowded 
into  a  space  of  not  more  than  three  miles,  all  waiting  for 
the  orders  to  cross.  The  men  were  universally  eager  to 
push  forward,  and  the  necessary  delay  caused  by  crossing 
the  men  and  material  of  so  large  an  army  seemed  to  them 


RETURN   TO    VIRGINIA.  267 

a  wearisome  expenditure  of  time.  While  waiting  here, 
the  Second  division  was  honored  by  the  presence  of  sev 
eral  ladies,  wives  of  officers  of  different  regiments,  who 
had  been  waiting  in  Washington  an  opportunity  of 
visiting  their  husbands,  and  had  met  them  here.  As  a 
memento  of  this  brief  visit,  the  Seventy-seventh  New  York 
received  from  the  wife  of  the  surgeon  the  gift  of  a  pair 
of  beautiful  guidons,  which  the  regiment  boasted  were 
unequaled  in  the  army.  The  design  was  a  white  cross, 
the  badge  of  our  division,  upon  a  ground  of  deep  blue 
silk.  In  the  center  of  the  cross  were  wrought  the  figures 
"  77."  These  beautiful  guidons  were  carried  by  the  regi 
ment  until  its  final  discharge  from  the  service,  when,  with 
the  old  banner,  the  tattered  national  flag,  and  the  magni 
ficent  new  flag  which  was  presented  afterward  by  the 
ladies  of  Saratoga,  they  were  presented  to  the  State  of 
New  York,  on  the  Fourth  of  July,  1865,  in  the  presence 
of  General  Grant  and  a  great  concourse  of  illustrious 
men. 

On  Sunday,  the  19th,  the  Sixth  corps  crossed  the  pon 
toon  bridge  to  Virginia,  the  bands  playing  "  O  carry  me 
back."  As  usual,  while  the  corps  was  crossing  a  bridge 
or  passing  a  difficult  place,  General  Sedgwick  stood  at  the 
farther  end  of  the  bridge  preventing  confusion  and  hurry 
ing  up  teams  which  might  obstruct  the  way.  We  climbed 
the  rocky  defile,  and,  at  four  o'clock,  found  ourselves  well 
on  the  Virginia  side  of  the  Potomac.  On  our  march  we 
passed  through  the  little  village  of  Lovettsville,  and,  much 
to  the  surprise  of  all,  the  doors  and  windows  of  the  dwell 
ings  were  filled  with  ladies,  whose  hair  and  dresses  were 
decked  with  ribbons  of  red,  white  and  blue,  and  scores  of 
Union  flags  waved  a  welcome  to  our  soldiers.  Such  a 
sight  had  not  greeted  us  before  in  Dixie,  and  it  was  most 
refreshing  to  witness  such  a  demonstration  of  loyalty  in 
Virginia. 


268  ALONG  THE   BLUE    RIDGE. 

The  corps  encamped  about  ten  miles  from  the  river,  near 
a  beautiful  clear  stream  of  water,  which  was  very  soon 
filled  with  bathers.  Here  orders  came  for  each  regiment 
in  the  army  to  send,  to  the  State  in  which  the  regi 
ment  was  raised,  a  certain  number  of  commissioned 
officers  and  enlisted  men  for  recruiting  duty. 

The  march  on  the  20th  was  slow  and  through  groves 
and  pleasant  meadows.  Twelve  miles  were  made,  and 
we  halted  for  the  night  and  the  next  day.  Wednesday  we 
passed  through  Union  town  and  Snickers ville,  reaching  the 
base  of  Cobbler's  mountain,  a  high  spur  from  the  Blue 
Ridge,  not  far  from  Ashby's  Gap.  Thursday  the  Sixth 
corps  proceeded  to  Ashby's  Gap,  and,  halting  there  for 
a  few  hours  in  a  most  delightful  valley,  again  started 
southward.  Vines  of  the  trailing  blackberry  covered  the 
ground,  and  the  delicious  fruit  grew  in  such  profusion  that 
the  men  enjoyed  a  continual  feast.  Never  had  we,  in  our 
wanderings  in  the  south,  found  such  an  abundance  of  fruit, 
and  the  effect  upon  the  health  of  the  men  was  marvelous. 
By  the  time  that  we  reached  Warrenton  the  occupation 
of  the  surgeons  was  almost  gone.  At  no  time,  perhaps, 
in  the  history  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  did  the  medical 
reports  exhibit  a  more  general  state  of  health  than  during 
our  stay  in  the  vicinity  of  Warrenton. 

Thus,  marching  along  at  the  foot  of  Blue  Ridge,  now 
turning  aside  to  enter  some  mountain  pass,  and  again  pro 
ceeding  on  the  general  course,  the  army,  on  the  25th  of 
July,  reached  the  vicinity  of  Warrenton,  our  Sixth  corps 
occupying  a  line  from  Warrenton  to  Waterloo,  the  scene 
of  some  of  the  early  engagements  of  General  Pope's  army 
at  the  first  rebel  invasion.  The  First  division  was  stationed 
in  and  about  Warrenton ;  the  Jersey  brigade  being  pro 
vost  guard  of  the  town,  where  the  gentlemanly  conduct  of 
the  men,  and  the  strict  order  preserved  in  the  town,  won 
for  them  the  good  opinions  of  the  town's  people,  as  well 


SIXTH    COEPS   AT   WAEEENTON.  269 

as  of  army  officers.  The  Third  division  was  in  the  rear 
of  the  other  two  divisions,  and  guarding  the  flank.  The 
Second  division  encamped  about  an  old  Baptist  church, 
which,  inclosed  by  a  thick  growth  of  trees,  large  and  small, 
had  been,  before  the  war,  the  only  house  of  worship  for 
miles  around.  No  paint  had  ever  stained  its  seats  or 
casings,  and  no  steeple  from  its  roof  had  ever  pointed 
toward  heaven.  The  pulpit,  the  white  folks'  seats  and  the 
black  folks'  seats,  were  all  in  ruins  now.  The  Rappahan- 
nock  river  was  but  a  half  a  mile  distant,  and  the  Seventy- 
seventh  and  Fifth  Vermont  were  sent  to  perform  picket 
duty  along  its  banks.  On  the  following  day  the  camps  of 
the  two  regiments  were  moved  to  the  vicinity  of  the  river, 
in  front  of  the  remainder  of  the  division,  and  we  were 
ordered  to  perform  picket  duty  while  the  division  remained 
in  its  present  camp.  The  camp  of  the  Fifth  Vermont  was 
established  a  fourth  of  a  mile  from  that  of  the  Seventy 
seventh,  its  lines  joining  ours  on  the  left.  On  the  bank  of 
the  river  just  below  our  camp,  was  the  residence  of  Mr. 
Hart  and  a  grist-mill ;  hence  the  place  was  called  "  Hart's 
Mills." 


CHAPTER  XXL 

CAMPS  AT  WARRENTON,  THE  CENTREVILLE  CAM 
PAIGN  AND  THE  BATTLE  OF  RAPPAHANNOCK 
STATION, 

Camp  at  Hart's  Mills  — A  ride  to  the  Sulphur  Springs  — Contrabands  going  north  — 
The  Vermonters  go  to  New  York  — Jersey  Brigade  at  Warrenton  — The  Sixth 
corps  at  Cedar  Mountain— Retreat  to  Centreville— Battle  of  Bristoe  Station— 
Advance  to  Warrenton— Battle  of  Rappahannock  Station— Flight  of  Lee's  army. 

THE  camp  at  Hart's  Mills  was  truly  a  pleasant  one.  It 
was  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  most  delightful  oak  grove, 
on  a  projecting  hill,  around  whose  base  the  Rappahannock 
coursed  in  a  beautiful  curve.  Along  its  banks  was  our 
picket  line.  Westward  the  view  extended  over  a  charm 
ing  valley  to  the  Blue  Ridge,  some  ten  miles  away ;  and 
at  evening,  when  the  sun  sank  behind  those  fine  hills, 
tinging  them  and  the  clouds  with  gorgeous  colors,  the 
prospect  was  truly  delightful.  The  village  of  Warrenton 
was  some  four  miles  distant,  and  the  celebrated  Warrenton 
Sulphur  Springs  about  three  miles  down  the  river. 

Under  the  direction  of  Chaplain  Fox,  a  place  in  the 
grove  was  selected,  a  speaker's  stand  was  erected,  sur 
rounded  by  rows  of  log  seats,  and  here  services  were  held 
on  the  Sabbath ;  and  on  other  days  of  the  week  there  were 
other  regimental  gatherings,  which  the  men  greatly  enjoyed. 
At  evening,  the  place  would  be  lighted  by  Chinese  lanterns 
of  various  colors,  hung  among  the  boughs  of  the  oak  trees, 
giving  to  the  grove  a  most  romantic  appearance. 

On  one  evening  the  regiment,  with  many  invited  guests 
from  the  division,  assembled  in  this  lovely  spot  and  listened 
to  speeches  from  several  gentlemen  of  eloquence,  the  brig- 


A   PLEASANT   CAMP.  271 

ade  band  lending  the  aid  of  fine  music  to  the  evening's 
entertainment. 

Thus  pleasantly  passed  the  time  of  the  two  regiments— 
the  Seventy-seventh  and  Fifth  Vermont  —  in  doing  picket 
duty  for  the  Second  division,  along  the  banks  of  the  Rap- 
pahannock.  Our  friends  of  the  Fifth  Vermont  were,  in 
addition  to  the  pleasant  location  of  their  camp  and  their 
easy  picket  duty,  favored  with  the  presence  of  the  wives 
of  some  of  their  officers.  A  ride  to  the  Sulphur  Springs 
was  always  a  pleasant  pastime ;  and  we  recall  with  pleas 
ure  one  of  these  excursions.  A  small  party,  including  one 
of  these  ladies,  enjoying  a  morning's  drive,  turned  their 
horses'  heads  towards  the  Springs.  A  merry  gallop  across 
three  miles  of  delightful  country,  through  pleasant  groves 
and  over  rolling  meadows,  fording  clear  sparkling  streams 
and  leaping  fences,  brought  the  party  to  the  former  Sara 
toga  of  the  south. 

The  morning  had  been  cool  and  cloudy,  but  as  our 
friends  reached  the  little  settlement  the  clouds  were  break 
ing  away,  and  the  sun  began  to  pour  blazing  rays  upon 
them.  They  secured  their  horses  and  walked  into  the 
grounds,  in  the  midst  of  which  General  Birney,  command 
ing  a  division  of  the  Third  corps,  had  established  his 
head-quarters ;  and  as  it  was  then  the  dinner  hour,  the 
general  and  his  staff  were  gathered  around  the  board 
under  the  shade  of  the  chestnut  trees,  while  a  band  dis 
coursed  sweet  music  for  the  benefit  of  those  at  table. 

Oak,  chestnut  and  ailanthus  trees  form  a  rich  and  grateful 
shade  for  the  grounds,  which  dip  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of 
basin,  in  the  center  of  which  rises  the  cupola  which  covers 
the  spring.  As  we  step  down  into  the  inclosure  of  the 
cupola,  indeed  as  we  approach  it  at  a  distance,  a  strong 
sulphurous  odor  is  perceived ;  but  there  is  a  delightful 
coolness  as  we  sit  down  upon  the  benches  which  are  placed 
around  the  area  of  the  cupola.  Several  Vermont  officers 


272  A  BIDE   TO   THE   SULPHUR  SPRINGS. 

greeted  our  friends  as  they  approached,  offering  the  odorous 
drink  to  the  lady.  There  are  two  springs  or  vats  within 
the  cupola,  each  inclosed  by  marble  sides ;  and  the  water 
stands  so  high  that  we  may  dip  it  ourselves,  thus  dispens 
ing  with  the  necessity  of  the  "  dippers,"  such  as  take  our 
dimes  at  Saratoga. 

A  glass  of  the  sparkling  fluid  was  presented  to  our  lady 
friend,  who  raised  it  to  her  lips,  and  then  turning  her  face 
away,  with  an  expression  of  infinite  disgust,  and  saying, 
with  a  good  deal  of  energy,  "  I  don't  want  any,"  handed 
back  the  glass.  The  gentlemen  endeavored  to  convince 
her  that  the  water  was  good ;  but  even  after  adding  a  little 
fine  brandy,  she  could  not  be  induced  to  quaff  the  liquid, 
which  she  declared  carried  with  it  such  powerful  sugges 
tions  of  unserviceable  eggs. 

Our  friends  lingered  about  the  grounds  for  some  hours, 
enjoying  the  cool  shade  and  examining  the  old  buildings, 
the  principal  one  of  which  was  originally  a  fine  structure, 
but  it  had  been  burned  the  year  before  by  our  soldiers. 
The  massive  columns  and  high  walls  were  still  suggestive 
of  the  hilarious  old  times  when  the  chivalry  used  to  congre 
gate  here  in  all  its  glory.  Encircling  the  grounds  was  a 
row  of  long  one  and  two  story  buildings,  most  of  them 
painted  yellow.  These  were  divided  into  small  apart 
ments  which  had  been  used  as  lodging  rooms.  There  were 
a  dozen  or  more  of  these  buildings,  all  dilapidated  by  age 
rather  than  suffering  from  the  ruthless  usage  of  war. 
They  inclosed  the  grove  which  occupied  ten  or  twelve 
acres  of  land. 

Except  the  circle  of  buildings  immediately  surrounding 
the  grove  and  springs,  there  were  but  very  few  dwellings 
in  the  neighborhood,  those  evidently  intended  for  the 
purpose  of  receiving  summer  boarders.  It  was  said  that 
about  five  hundred  boarders  used  to  spend  the  summer 
here  every  year,  and  double  that  number  of  visitors  took 


REFUGEES.  273 

rooms  at  Warrenton,  a  mile  and  a  half  distant,  from  which 
place  they  rode  to  the  springs  morning  and  evening  to 
quaff  the  odorous  fluid,  or  to  stroll  about  the  groves.  The 
new  White  Sulphur  Springs  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley 
had,  for  some  years  past,  diverted  the  patronage  from  the 
Warrenton  springs,  and  thither,  at  the  foot  of  the  Blue 
Ridge  mountains,  great  numbers  of  fashionable  southerners 
had  resorted. 

It  was  evidently  a  blessing  that  this  resort  had  been 
despoiled  by  war.  It  sadly  needed  renovating  and  modern 
izing,  and  so  long  as  the  old  buildings  stood,  no  southerner 
had  the  enterprise  to  pull  them  down  and  replace  them 
with  better  ones.  A  few  thousands  of  dollars  in  the  hands 
of  an  enterprising  Yankee  would  soon  make  this  one  of 
the  most  delightful  resorts  in  the  southern  states. 

One  of  the  characteristic  features  of  our  picket  duty  on 
the  Rappahannock,  was  the  great  number  of  contrabands 
who  came  through  our  lines. 

Squads  of  gray-headed  old  negroes,  young  negro  women 
and  children,  carrying  in  bundles  all  their  worldly  store, 
constantly  applied  for  permission  to  enter  the  lines  on 
their  way  to  the  north.  The  cavalry  who  scouted  in  front 
on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  returned  with  wagons 
loaded  with  little  darkies,  whose  mothers  and  elder  sisters 
and  grandsires  trudged  along  on  foot.  All  wagons  going 
to  Warrenton  without  other  lading  were  filled  with  these 
refugees  from  slavery,  old  and  young,  some  black,  some 
olive  and  some  white;  some  with  black  curly  wool, 
some  with  wavy  black  hair,  and  some  with  brown  ringlets. 

Our  northern  soldiers  had,  by  this  time,  begun  to  look 
upon  slavery  in  its  true  light.  They  had  also  learned  that 
the  negroes  were  their  friends.  It  required  a  long  school 
ing  to  teach  them  this  lesson,  but  it  was  thoroughly 
learned  at  last.  We  heard  now  no  jeering  and  hooting 
when  a  negro  or  wagon  load  of  negroes  went  by.  The 
35 


274  NEGRO    REFUGEES. 

soldiers  treated  them  with  the  greatest  kindness,  and  aided 
them  in  every  way  to  get  off  to  the  north. 

While  our  boys  did  not  hesitate  long  to  take  from  the 
white  inhabitants  any  articles  that  they  thought  they  were 
in  need  of,  it  was  considered  an  act  of  outrageous  meanness 
to  take  a  chicken  or  any  other  property  from  the  negro 
people. 

While  passing  through  Orleans,  on  our  way  to  the  pre 
sent  camp,  a  great  many  slave  children  were  standing 
along  the  streets  watching  us.  Many  of  these  children 
were  nearly  white.  The  attention  of  one  our  captains, 
who  was  one  of  the  last  relics  among  us  of  that  class 

O 

of  men  who  were  loyal  to  their  country  but  despised 
the  negro,  was  fixed  upon  a  beautiful  child  of  olive  com 
plexion  and  wavy  hair,  who  stood  gazing  in  innocent 
wonder  at  the  passing  column.  The  child  was  indeed  a 
picture  of  unadorned  beauty,  in  her  long  coarse  garment 
of  "negro  cloth."  The  captain  turned  to  a  staff  officer 
and  as  a  tear  stole  down  his  rough  cheek  at  the  thought 
of  the  degradation  of  the  beautiful  child,  he  exclaimed, 
"  Is'nt  it  horrible." 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  the  captain's  senti 
ments  from  that  moment  underwent  a  radical  change,  and 
ever  after  there  were  none  more  ready  to  afford  assistance 
to  the  needy  refugees,  than  our  generous  but  hitherto  pre 
judiced  captain. 

Many  of  these  colored  refugees  had  the  greatest  faith  in 
what  they  deemed  the  promises  of  the  Bible.  There  was 
an  almost  universal  faith  in  the  ultimate  overthrow  of 
the  south  by  the  north,  and  this  belief  was  founded  in 
most  cases  upon  their  supposed  Bible  promises. 

One  of  these  people,  a  gray-haired  negro,  bent  with  age 
and  leaning  heavily  upon  his  staff,  who  hoped  to  spend 
the  evening  of  his  life  in  freedom,  said  to  the  writer: 
"  Our  massas  tell  us  dat  dey  goin  to  whip  de  Yankees  and 


<i;tt    ' 

.; 
-      ill 

Ml    ;: 
AY 
not 
trut:  it  in  tin- 

' 

- 

as  tii; 
were    at 
Their    BJ> 
kind. 
W> 

! 

the 

u»p  i  MS  of  del 

Look  '.-  their   attention 

turned,  we  saw  a  grou. 
>rnall  children  accompanied  by 


\r  ; 
Th< 

-]   sis 


..   ..  , 


:    ;    •-    • 

•>.      .•  ;;i. 

•.••'^.>C«.      -'•    !   ;  . 

:';.,'  nirKl'Oi'--. 

'Jii,roll!a.x'/: 


276  VERMONT   BRIGADE    GOES   NORTH. 

On  the  morning  of  the  6th  of  August,  we  were  aston 
ished  to  find  the  camp  of  our  neighbors  of  the  Fifth 
Vermont  deserted,  and  their  picket  line  occupied  by  a 
regiment  from  the  Third  division.  The  surprise  was  still 
greater  when  we  learned  that  the  whole  of  the  Second 
brigade  had  been  ordered  to  New  York  city  to  guard 
against  any  resistance  which  might  be  offered  to  the 
enforcement  of  the  draft.  The  order  had  reached  the 
brigade  after  midnight,  and  at  three  o'clock  it  was  on  its 
way  to  the  north.  Thus  the  Third  brigade  was  now  all 
that  was  left  of  the  Second  division  of  the  Sixth  corps. 
Up  to  this  time  General'  Howe  had  kept  the  division, 
except  the  two  regiments  on  picket,  hard  at  work  at  divi 
sion  drills.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  no  division  in  the  army 
performed  more  labor  in  drills  than  Howe's  during  the  time 
that  it  was  under  command  of  that  officer.  The  whole 
division  was  encamped  in  one  of  those  charming  localities 
which  make  this  part  of  Virginia  more  beautiful  than 
almost  any  other,  and  aside  from  the  continual  round  of 
drills,  the  time  passed  most  agreeably.  The  Jersey  boys 
here  spent  the  time  in  pleasant  alternation  of  guard  duties 
and  social  enjoyments ;  a  part  of  the  time  being  devoted  to 
military  affairs,  and  a  much  greater  part  spent  in  agreeable 
attentions  to  the  winning  young  ladies  of  Warrenton. 

But,  like  every  other  brief  respite  for  the  army  of  the 
Potomac,  this  was  destined  to  come  to  an  end.  On  the 
15th  of  September  the  army  moved  toward  Culpepper, 
which  was  reached  on  the  16th;  the  Sixth  corps  taking 
position  at  a  place  called  Stonehouse  Mountain,  three  miles 
west  of  Culpepper. 

Here  we  remained  three  weeks ;  the  camps  were  by  no 
means  so  delightful  as  those  about  Warrenton  and  Water 
loo,  and  the  weather  was  becoming  quite  cold,  so  that  our 
three  weeks  stay  at  Stonehouse  Mountain  had  little  about 
it  to  make  us  desire  to  make  it  longer.  Some  pleasing 


THE    SIXTH    CORPS    AT    CEDAR    MOUNTAIN.  27*7 

incidents,  however,  relieved  the  monotony  of  our  stay  at 
this  place,  the  presentation  of  an  elegant  sword  to  Colonel 
French,  by  the  line  officers  of  the  Seventy-seventh,  was 
the  first.  The  presentation  was  followed  by  festivity  and 
merriment,  and  in  the  evening  our  friends  of  the  Seventh 
Maine,  forming  a  torchlight  procession,  marched  to  the 
camp  of  the  Seventy-seventh  to  congratulate  the  colonel 
and  line  officers  upon  the  mutual  trust  and  confidence 
existing  between  them.  The  next  was  the  return  of  the 
Vermont  brigade  from  New  York.  The  Third  brigade 
was  drawn  up  in  line  to  receive  our  returning  comrades, 
and  with  much  ceremony  welcomed  them  back  to  the 
division.  It  must  be  acknowledged  that  both  brigades 
would  have  been  better  pleased  with  the  unrestrained 
welcome  which  would  have  been  expressed  in  cheers  than 
by  the  formal  military  salute. 

On  Monday,  October  5th,  the  Sixth  corps  marched  to 
Cedar  Mountain  on  the  Rapidan,  the  scene  of  General 
Banks'  conflict  with  Jackson.  The  First  corps  was  already 
stationed  in  the  vicinity  of  Raccoon  Ford,  and  the  two 
corps  now  occupied  a  line  of  five  or  six  miles  along  the 
bend  of  the  river,  holding  the  roads  to  Culpepper  and 
Stevensburgh.  The  two  corps  were  thus  thrown  out  ten 
miles  in  front  of  the  main  army,  having  little  communica 
tion  with  the  rear.  Few  wagons  were  allowed  to  follow 
us,  and  those  were  ordered  to  the  rear  under  a  strong 
escort.  On  Friday,  the  llth,  the  signal  officers  stationed 
on  the  summit  of  Cedar  Mountain,  while  watching  the 
rebel  signals,  read  the  message  sent  by  their  flags :  "  I  am 
at  James  City.  J.  E.  B.  S."  Thus  it  was  known  that 
Stuart  was  making  for  our  rear,  and  as  long  trains  of 
wagons  had  also  been  discovered  moving  in  the  direction 
of  James  City,  it  became  evident  that  Lee  was  endeavor 
ing  to  throw  his  whole  army  in  the  rear  of  our  own. 
General  Meade  determined  to  draw  the  rebel  army  back 


278  KILPATRICK   AT   BKANDY   STATION. 

if  possible ;  accordingly  the  Sixth  and  First  corps  were 
ordered  to  build  extensive  fires  and  be  in  readiness  to 
march  at  a  moment's  notice.  On  the  following  morning, 
Buford,  with  a  division  of  cavalry,  appeared  at  Germania 
Ford, ,  some  twelve  miles  below  us,  while  our  infantry 
advanced  as  though  about  to  cross  at  Raccoon  Ford  and 
the  fords  in  front  of  the  Sixth  corps.  The  ruse  of  threat 
ening  to  cross  the  river  by  the  two  corps,  succeeded  in 
calling  the  rebel  infantry  back  to  check  our  advance ;  and 
at  night,  after  building  large  fires,  the  two  corps  hastily 
withdrew  toward  Culpepper,  which  we  reached  at  day 
light,  after  a  severe  march.  After  a  brief  halt  for  break 
fast,  the  corps,  with  the  whole  of  the  infantry,  was  on  its 
way  toward  Brandy  Station,  leaving  the  cavalry  force 
under  Pleasanton  to  cover  the  retreat.  A  rapid  march, 
in  which  the  army  moved  in  several  parallel  columns, 
brought  the  infantry  all  safe  across  the  Rappahannock 
at  Rappahannock  Station.  But  the  cavalry  were  not 
allowed  to  retreat  without  some  hard  fighting.  Their 
guns  could  be  heard  by  us  during  the  afternoon,  and 
toward  evening  the  firing  became  more  rapid  and  nearer. 
Indeed,  the  rebels  advanced  almost  to  the  banks  of  the  river. 

Gregg,  with  a  brigade  of  cavalry,  was  overtaken  by  a 
considerable  force  of  the  enemy,  near  Jefferson,  early  in 
the  day,  and  after  a  severe  engagement  of  two  hours,  fell 
back,  crossing  the  river  at  Sulphur  Springs. 

Kilpatrick  with  his  brigade,  following  the  trail  of  the 
infantry,  and  designing  to  form  a  union  with  Gregg, 
found,  on  passing  Brandy  Station,  that  his  way  was 
blocked  by  a  whole  division  of  rebel  cavalry,  which  had 
slipped  in  between  him  and  the  rear  of  the  infantry. 
Halting  for  a  moment  to  take  a  single  glance  at  the 
situation  of  affairs,  the  dashing  general  shouted  to  his 
men,  "Boys,  there  are  the  cusses!"  Then,  springing 
to  the  head  of  the  column,  he  led  his  men  to  such  a 


GENERAL   MEADE    OFFERS    BATTLE.  279 

charge  as  has  rarely  been  witnessed  even  in  our  cavalry 
service. 

The  road  was  strongly  guarded  by  three  regiments  of 
cavalry  in  solid  column,  flanked  on  either  side  by  a  regi 
ment  in  line.  Directly  upon  this  strongly  posted  force, 
the  gallant  general  and  his  brave  fellows  rushed  with 
shouts  and  oaths,  and  sabre  thrusts,  trampling  down 
everything  in  their  way.  Unable  to  withstand  this  impet 
uous  and  unexpected  onset,  the  rebels  gave  way,  allowing 
the .  Union  brigade  to  pass  between  their  broken  ranks. 
Dead  men  and  horses  lay  thickly  scattered  upon  the  ground 
when  the  victorious  brigade  left  the  field  to  join  the 
infantry  at  the  river. 

Thus,  hotly  pursued,  General  Meade  determined  to  offer 
battle  to  the  pursuing  army,  making  the  Rappahannock  his 
immediate  base  of  operations.  Accordingly,  early  the  fol 
lowing  morning,  a  large  portion  of  the  infantry  and  artillery 
was  countermarched  across  the  river,  where,  within  a  mile 
of  the  stream,  the  line  of  battle  was  formed,  and  we  waited 
the  onset  of  the  enemy  until  past  noon.  Then,  Buford's 
cavalry  having  engaged  the  enemy  in  front,  three  corps, 
the  Second,  Fifth  and  Sixth,  commenced  to  advance  in 
line  of  battle.  It  was  a  grand  spectacle.  During  two 
years  of  service  we  had  not  seen  its  like.  Our  line  of 
battle  stretched  across  the  vast  plain,  nearly  three  miles 
in  length,  straight  as  the  flight  of  an  arrow.  At  each 
flank  were  several  battalions  in  echelon.  In  the  rear  of 
the  center  of  each  wing  of  the  line,  was  a  heavy  reserve 
in  solid  square,  and,  following  in  the  rear  of  each  square, 
a  large  column,  stretching  back  to  the  river  and  across  the 
pontoon  bridges  to  the  farther  side  of  the  stream. 

Thus  the  line  of  battle  moved  forward  across  the  plain, 
never  for  a  moment  losing  its  perfect  form.  Brisk  can 
nonading  and  musketry  were  kept  up  by  the  cavalry  in 
front,  and  the  army  earnestly  hoped  that  General  Lee 


280  EETKEAT   TO    CENTKEVILLE. 

might  accept  our  challenge  to  an  open  field  fight,  but  the 
rebel  general  was  too  wary  to  accept  battle  on  such  equal 
terms,  and  pushed  on  toward  Sulphur  Springs,  hoping  to 
reach  Centreville  before  us. 

Our  line  of  battle  halted  at  dark,  at  Brandy  Station. 
But  there  was- no  time  to  be  lost;  resting  there  until 
eleven  o'clock,  we  were  ordered  to  retrace  our  steps  to 
the  river ;  this  time  not  in  line  of  battle,  but  in  all  haste. 
The  night  was  dark,  and  the  troops  had  already  made  long 
marches ;  so  when  they  reached  and  crossed  the  river  at 
daylight,  they  were  fairly  worn  out.  An  hour  for  sleep 
and  breakfast  was  allowed,  the  railroad  bridge  was  blown 
up,  and  again  we  were  on  a  grand  race  northward. 

It  was  a  great  medley;  baggage  wagons,  pontoons, 
ambulances,  artillery  and  troops,  all  thrown  together  in 
splendid  confusion.  Drivers  cursing,  cannon  rattling,  sol 
diers  singing  and  shouting,  horses  racing,  and  all  that 
sublime  confusion  which  can  never  be  seen  except  in  a 
hasty  but  well  directed  retreat  of  a  vast  army. 

We  passed  Warrenton  Junction  and  Bealton  Station, 
and  at  eight  o'clock  halted  near  Kettle  Run,  having 
marched  more  than  thirty  mijes  within  twenty-four  hours. 

We  had  not  long  to  rest,  for  at  daylight,  October  14th, 
we  were  again  on  the  road,  making  quick  time.  We 
passed  our  old  camp  at  Bristoe,  and  the  familiar  scenes  at 
Manassas  Junction,  and  crossed  Bull  Run  at  Blackman's 
Ford.  We  reached  Centreville  at  three  P.  M.  The  boom 
ing  of  cannon  in  the  rear,  the  huge  clouds  of  smoke,  and 
the  heavy  rattle  of  musketry,  told  us  there  was  hot  work 
on  the  ground  we  had  lately  passed  over;  and  as  we 
formed  in  line  of  battle  in  front  of  Centreville,  the  soldiers 
said,  "  Here  is  the  third  Bull  Run,  but  this  time  the  run 
will  be  on  the  other  side." 

To  the  Second  corps  had  been  assigned  the  duty  of 
guarding  the  rear  of  the  army.  About  twelve  o'clock,  as 


AN   ATTACK    ON  THE   PICKET   LINE.  281 

the  rear  of  that  corps  was  crossing  Broad  Run,  a  wide 
and  muddy  stream  at  Bristoe  Station,  the  rebel  corps  of 
A.  P.  Hill  suddenly  appeared  from  the  cover  of  the  woods 
in  the  vicinity,  and,  running  out  a  battery,  opened  a  severe 
fire  of  artillery  and  musketry  upon  the  column,  which  was 
in  a  degree  of  confusion,  owing  to  the  difficult  crossing  of 
the  stream. 

In  a  moment  order  was  restored,  and  the  troops  so 
placed  as  to  defy  the  advance  of  the  enemy. 

The  rebels,  finding  that  their  attack  upon  the  advance 
was  fruitless,  now  turned  their  attention  to  the  rear  divi 
sion,  which  was  advancing  toward  the  run.  Opening 
upon  the  column  a  fierce  cannonade  and  a  storm  of 
bullets,  they  hoped  to  throw  the  division  into  confusion, 
but  again  they  were  disappointed.  After  a  severe  fight, 
the  rebels  were  forced  to  flee  across  the  run  in  great  dis 
order,  leaving  in  the  hands  of  the  Second  corps  five  pieces 
of  artillery,  two  stands  of  colors,  and  four  hundred  and 
fifty  prisoners.  Such  was  the  battle  of  Bristoe  Station. 

At  dark  that  evening  the  Sixth  corps  moved  to  Chantilly, 
where  we  rested  for  the  night.  Next  morning  we  took  a 
new  and  stronger  position,  where  we  waited,  listening  to 
the  roar  of  cannon  where  the  cavalry  was  contending 
with  the  advance  of  the  enemy,  and  wondering  how  soon 
our  own  turn  would  come.  Suddenly,  at  three  o'clock,  the 
doubts  seemed  to  be  removed.  An  officer  came  dashing 
along  the  line,  with  the  order  to  "  Strip  for  the  fray  !  the 
enemy  are  coming  down  upon  us !"  The  men  stood  to 
arms,  and  again  we  waited  for  the  attack,  but  none  was 
made :  our  cavalry  had  arrested  the  advance  of  the  enemy. 
At  night  the  firing  died  away,  and  we  pitched  our  tents 
and  slept  undisturbed. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  16th,  the  Seventy-seventh  being 
on  picket,  a  horseman  suddenly  rushed  in  front  of  the 
head-quarter  tents,  saying  that  the  left  of  our  picket  line 
06 


282  RETREAT   TO    WARRENTON. 

was  attacked.  It  proved  that  a  body  of  rebel  cavalry 
had  discovered  some  wagons  outside  the  picket  line,  and  had 
made  a  dash  upon  them.  Our  boys  drove  them  back  in 
haste,  but  the  line  was  strengthened  in  the  expectation  of 
a  more  important  demonstration.  This,  however,  was  the 
last  we  saw  of  the  rebels  on  our  part  of  the  line. 

Lee,  finding  himself  too  late  to  occupy  the  works  around 
Centre ville  before  us,  and  hopeless  of  the  success  of  any 
flank  movement,  turned  his  army  again  towards  the  Rappa- 
hannock. 

On  the  following  morning,  October  17th,  our  army  started 
in  pursuit,  the  rain  falling  upon  us  in  torrents,  rendering 
the  mud  deep  and  the  marching  hard.  We  halted  that 
night  at  Gainesville,  marched  the  next  day  through  New 
Baltimore,  and  reached  Warrenton  at  night.  On  our 
march  we  had  passed  the  bodies  of  many  of  our  cavalry 
men,  who  had  been  killed  in  the  constant  skirmishes  which 
had  been  going  on  since  our  advance.  Near  New  Balti 
more,  where  Kilpatrick's  brigade  had  been  forced  back,  the 
bodies  of  his  men  lay  scattered  along  the  roadside,  nearly 
all  of  them  stripped  of  their  clothing  by  the  rebels. 

The  army  encamped  in  the  vicinity  of  Warrenton ;  the 
Sixth  corps  occupying  a  pleasant  ridge  just  in  front  of 
the  town.  Here  we  remained  a  fortnight. 

Our  first  week  at  Warrenton  was  anything  but  agree 
able.  The  cold  northwest  winds  swept  through  our  camps, 
carrying  chilly  discomfort  everywhere.  The  men  shivered 
over  their  log  fires;  but  while  the  fitful  wind  drove  the 
smoke  and  fire  into  their  faces,  it  froze  their  backs.  At 
our  head-quarters,  as  we  drew  closely  about  our  fire,  dread 
ing  equally  the  chilly  winds  and  the  provoking  clouds  of 
smoke,  one  of  the  party,  perhaps  reading  for  the  amusement 
of  the  others  from  a  volume  of  Saxe's  poems,  a  stranger, 
had  one  chanced  to  drop  in  among  us,  would  have  imagined 
that  Saxe  must  have  written  most  grievous  tales  of  woe, 


AN   ADVANCE.  283 

and  that  our  hearts  and  eyes  were  all  melted  by  the  sad 
stories.  At  length,  having  suffered  these  disagreeable 
exposures  for  a  week,  the  men  of  the  corps  fell  to  work 
to  erect  comfortable  quarters,  and  thinking  that  the  pres 
ent  camp  might  possibly  become  winter  quarters,  they 
made  for  themselves  much  more  comfortable  huts  than 
had  served  them  in  their  winter's  camp  at  White  Oak 
Church.  Generals  Neill  and  Grant  reviewed  their  bri 
gades,  and  then  Generals  Howe  and  Wright  reviewed 
their  divisions,  and  last  of  all,  General  Sedgwick  had  a 
grand  review  of  the  whole  corps,  which  was  a  very  splen 
did  affair. 

The  weather  became  again  mild  and  agreeable.  Pon 
toons  were  arriving  and  there  were  many  indications  that 
we  must  soon  leave  our  comfortable  quarters.  At  length, 
at  ten  o'clock  at  night,  November  6th,  came  the  order, 
"Reveille  at  half-past  four;  move  at  daylight."  So  good 
bye,  fine  quarters  and  comfortable  fire-places,  AVC  must 
be  off. 

We  were  in  line  and  commenced  moving  from  camp  at 
daylight,  November  7th.  We  marched  rapidly,  taking 
the  road  to  Rappahannock  Station.  The  Sixth  and  Fifth 
corps  only  had  taken  this  road,  the  remaining  corps  were, 
however,  either  on  the  move  or  under  orders  to  move,  the 
Third  corps  having  taken  the  road  to  Ely's  Ford,  and 
the  others  following.  General  Sedgwick  was  placed  in 
command  of  the  Fifth  and  Sixth  corps,  while  General 
Meade  accompanied  the  left  wing. 

At  noon  we  halted  within  a  mile  of  the  Station,  and  the 
corps  was  immediately  thrown  into  line  of  battle.  The 
men  were  allowed  to  rest  on  their  arms  for  an  hour  or 
two,  wondering  what  was  to  come. 

In  front  of  us  was  a  line  of  low  hills,  stretching  parallel 
with  our  line  of  battle,  and  on  the  slope  toward  us,  and 
within  pistol  shot  of  us,  were  rebel  cavalry  pickets,  sitting 


284  BATTLE    OF   EAPPAHAKNOCK    STATION. 

upon  their  horses  and  facing  us  with  the  coolest  impu 
dence;  but  not  a  shot  was  fired  at  them.  We  had  not 
rested  here  long  before  we  heard  the  booming  of  cannon 
on  our  left,  where,  three  miles  down  the  river,  the  Third 
corps  had  already  engaged  the  enemy.  At  length  the 
order  came  to  move  forward.  The  Second  division,  under 
General  Howe,  held  the  right,  the  Third  brigade  constitut 
ing  its  front  line,  the  Vermont  brigade  its  second,  the 
Forty-third  New  York  as  skirmishers.  On  the  left,  was 
the  First  division,  the  Sixth  Maine  on  the  skirmish  line, 
the  Second  and  Third  brigades  in  the  advance,  the  New 
Jersey  brigade  in  the  reserve ;  and  in  the  center  the  Third 
division,  under  General  Terry. 

In  this  order  the  corps  pushed  forward  up  the  hills,  the 
rebel  horsemen  whirling  and  flying  before  our  advance. 
As  our  skirmishers  gained  the  summit  of  the  hills,  the 
rebel  infantry  delivered  their  fire  upon  them,  but  the  brave 
boys  of  the  Forty-third  and  of  the  Sixth  Maine  pushed 
on,  never  halting  or  wavering  for  a  moment,  driving  the 
enemy  before  them  until  they  had  pushed  the  rebel  skirm 
ishers  close  upon  their  line  of  battle. 

The  First  division  at  once  became  hotly  engaged,  the 
rebels  disputing  the  advance  with  unavailing  obstinacy. 
That  noble  division  bore  the  brunt  of  the  battle.  While 
the  Second  and  Third  divisions  behaved  with  great  gal 
lantry,  doing  all  that  w^as  required  of  them,  and  doing  it 
with  that  fighting  joy  so  characteristic  of  the  whole  corps, 
the  First  division,  from  its  position,  was  called  upon  to 
perform  unusual  feats  of  valor.  As  General  Sedgwick  was 
that  day  in  command  of  the  right  wing  of  the  army,  Gen 
eral  Wright,  of  the  First  division,  commanded  the  corps,  and 
General  Russell,  the  brave,  unassuming  and  beloved  com 
mander  of  the  Third  brigade,  commanded  the  division. 

The  skirmishers  of  our  Second  division,  the  Forty-third 
New  York,  pushed  gallantly  forward,  their  brave  Colonel 


THE    KEBEL   POSITION.  285 

Baker  riding  rapidly  from  one  end  of  the  line  to  the  other, 
his  white  horse  making  a  prominent  mark  for  the  rebels. 
The  line  of  battle  of  the  whole  corps  followed  closely 
upon  the  skirmishers.  As  we  reached  the  summit  of  the 
hills,  a  grand  panorama  of  the  battle  opened  before  us. 
The  whole  battle-field  could  be  seen  at  a  single  glance ;  a 
rare  occurrence.  On  one  side  were  the  eminences  occu 
pied  by  our  own  line  of  battle,  and  on  the  other,  a  line  of 
hills  of  equal  elevation,  covered  with  swarms  of  rebels. 
Between  the  two  ranges  of  hills,  stretched  a  plain  one- 
fourth  of  a  mile  wide  and  from  one  to  two  miles  long, 
which  was  occupied  by  the  skirmishers  of  the  opposing 
forces. 

The  rebels  were  posted  in  strong  positions  behind  exten 
sive  earthworks,  forts,  redoubts  and  rifle  pits ;  and  their 
artillery  was  posted  so  as  to  sweep  the  plain  and  the 
sloping  grounds  confronting  them.  Their  gray  lines  of 
infantry  were  pouring  out  from  behind  the  earthworks  to 
meet  us  at  the  edge  of  the  plain. 

As  our  line  of  battle  appeared  on  the  crest  of  the  hills, 
the  rebel  batteries  opened  a  terrific  fire  upon  us.  The  air 
was  filled  with  the  shriekings  of  these  fearful  projectiles, 
which  exploded  with  startling  frequency  above  our  heads 
and  just  behind  us ;  but,  fortunately,  the  rebels  aimed 
high,  and  many  of  the  shells  ploughed  the  ground  in  our 
rear  or  burst  about  our  hospitals.  The  First  division  was 
pressing  toward  the  rebel  works  at  double  quick,  under  a 
terrible  fire  of  musketry  and  artillery,  the  boys  with  the 
red  crosses  pushing  everything  before  them.  They  neared 
the  rebel  works,  and  the  skirmishers  along  the  whole  line 
threw  themselves  upon  the  ground  waiting  for  the  line  of 
battle  to  come  up.  The  rebel  skirmishers  did  the  same. 
Each  moment  the  scene  became  more  exciting.  Rebel 
infantry  crowded  the  opposite  side  of  the  plain,  the  slopes 
of  the  hills  and  the  rifle  pits.  The  whole  line  was  ablaze 


286  GALLANTRY    OF   THE    THIRD   BRIGADE. 

with  the  fire  of  musketry,  and  the  roar  of  battle  constantly 
increased. 

At  length,  toward  evening,  the  rebels  having  been 
driven  back  to  the  cover  of  their  rifle  pits,  the  Third 
brigade  of  the  First  division,  consisting  of  the  Sixth 
Maine,  the  Fifth  Wisconsin,  the  Forty-ninth  and  One 
Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Pennsylvania,  regiments  whose 
fame  already  stood  high  in  the  army,  was  ordered  forward. 

First  the  Maine  and  Wisconsin  regiments  rushed  for 
ward,  the  intrepid  Russell  riding  at  the  very  front.  At  his 
order  to  "  charge,"  the  two  regiments  quickened  their  pace 
to  a  run,  and,  with  bayonets  fixed,  without  ever  stopping  to 
fire  a  gun,  the  gallant  fellows  ran  forward.  They  seized 
the  fort,  but  the  rebels  rallied  and  drove  them  out.  Again 
they  charged ;  a  hand  to  hand  encounter  followed.  The 
boys  leaped  over  into  the  fort,  using  their  muskets  for 
clubs,  and,  when  the  work  was  too  close  for  that,  dropping 
their  guns  and  pommeling  their  adversaries  with  their 
fists.  The  general  had  sent  back  for  the  remaining  regi 
ments  of  the  brigade,  but,  in  the  ten  minutes  that  elapsed 
before  the  Pennsylvanians  could  come  up  on  a  run,  half 
the  men  of  the  Sixth  Maine,  and  nearly  as  many  of  the 
Wisconsin  regiment,  had  fallen.  The  whole  brigade  leaped 
over  the  embankments,  capturing  hundreds  of  the  rebels. 

Not  less  gallant  was  the  charge  of  the  Second  brigade, 
led  by  the  young,  ambitious  Colonel  Upton.  His  regi 
ments  were  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-first  New  York, 
his  own,  the  Fifth  Maine,  and  the  Ninety-fifth  and  Ninety- 
sixth  Pennsylvania.  The  brigade  occupied  the  left  of  the 
Sixth  corps,  joining  the  Fifth  corps.  Under  cover  of 
the  growing  darkness,  the  courageous  Upton  led  the  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-first  New  York  and  Fifth  Maine 
within  a  few  yards  of  the  rebel  rifle  pits,  when  the  order 
to  charge  was  given.  Instantly  the  rifle  pits  were  ablaze, 
and  a  destructive  volley  was  poured  into  the  two  regiments. 


THE    TROPHIES.  287 

Another  moment  and  the  Union  boys  were  leaping  into  the 
rifle  pits,  sweeping  everything  before  them.  All  this  while 
not  a  shot  had  been  fired  by  Upton's  men,  but,  charging 
with  the  bayonet,  they  carried  all  before  them. 

The  confederates  took  to  their  heels,  and  attempted  to 
flee  to  the  other  side  of  the  river,  but  their  pontoon  bridge 
was  in  possession  of  our  troops,  and  hundreds  of  panic- 
stricken  rebels  leaped  into  the  rapid  stream  and  attempted 
to  swim  across.  Some  succeeded,  but  many  were  drowned 
in  the  attempt.  Sixteen  hundred  prisoners,  eight  pieces  of 
artillery,  four  battle-flags,  and  more  than  two  thousand 
stand  of  small  arms,  were  the  trophies  of  this  splendid 
victory. 

The  credit  of  this  brilliant  success  belongs  mainly  to 
the  First  division ;  yet  the  Second  and  Third  divisions, 
while  less  actively  engaged,  performed  their  part  with 
alacrity  and  bravery,  and  the  many  dead  and  wounded 
from  these  two  divisions  attested  the  severity  of  the  fight 
along  their  portions  of  the  line.  The  loss  to  the  corps,  in 
killed  and  wounded,  was  about  three  hundred,  among 
whom,  w.ere  many  choice  spirits.  The  commander  of  the 
Fifth  Wisconsin,  Captain  Walker,  w^as  killed.  Captain 
Ordway  succeeded  to  £he  command.  He  leaped  upon  the 
parapet,  and  fell  dead  inside  the  rebel  fort. 

All  this  time  the  Third  corps  was  actively  engaged 
at  Kelly's  Ford,  three  miles  to  our  left.  It  had  found 
the  rebels  strongly  posted  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river,  well  protected  by  forts  and  rifle  pits.  The  artillery 
of  the  corps  wTas  taken  to  the  river  side  and  brought  to 
bear  upon  the  rebel  works.  At  length  a  storming  party 
was  selected  and  massed  on  the  banks.  At  the  word,  the 
brave  fellows  plunged  into  the  stream,  and  rushing  across, 
charged  the  strong  works  of  the  rebels  with  great  fury. 
The  occupants  were  obliged  to  flee,  but  five  hundred  of 
them  were  left  as  prisoners. 


288 

Owing  to  the  depth  and  force  of  the  stream  between 
the  works  the  Sixth  corps  had  taken,  and  those  still  occu 
pied  by  the  rebels  on  the  other  side,  it  was  impossible  to 
push  our  victory  further  that  night.  The  confederates, 
finding  our  troops  in  possession  of  their  pontoon  bridge, 
had  set  it  on  fire  at  the  end  still  held  by  them ;  thus  all 
pursuit  was  for  the  time  cut  off.  But  on  the  following 
morning  the  rebels  had  retreated,  leaving  us  to  rebuild  the 
bridge  and  cross  at  our  leisure. 

Without  further  delay  we  pushed  on  toward  Brandy 
Station,  which  we  reached  toward  evening,  the  cavalry 
having  preceded  us. 

The  whole  of  Lee's  army,  except  the  forces  stationed 
at  Rappahannock  Station  and  Kelly's  Ford,  had  been 
encamped  in  the  vicinity  of  Brandy  Station,  and  their 
recently  deserted  camps,  where  they  had  erected  comfort 
able  huts  and  made  many  other  preparations  for  a  winter's 
stay,  showed  that  their  hasty  leave  was  entirely  unexpected 
to  them.  In  many  instances  officers  had  forgotten  to  take 
their  valises  and  trunks  with  them,  and  Union  soldiers 
strutted  about  in  the  garb  of  rebel  brigadiers  and  .colonels. 

It  was  said,  by  the  rebel  prisoners  taken  by  the  cavalry, 
that  while  the  fights  were  in  progress  on  the  Rappahan 
nock,  General  Lee  was  holding  a  grand  review  of  his 
army,  when  suddenly  the  information  reached  him  that  the 
Yankees  were  coming.  The  review  was  broken  off,  and 
there  was  hurrying  of  regiments  to  their  respective  camps, 
each  regiment,  independently  of  its  division  or  brigade, 
making  hot  haste  for  its  own  quarters.  Baggage  was 
quickly  thrown  into  wagons,  and  a  general  stampede 
toward  the  Rapidan  commenced  at  once. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  ARMY  AT  BRANDY  STATION. 

Encampment  at  Brandy  Station— The  Mine  Run  campaign— Crossing  the  Rapidan 
—  Battle  of  Locust  Grove— The  army  on  Mine  Run— The  order  of  battle— The 
army  withdraws  —  Back  at  Brandy  Station— Reconnoissance  to  Madison  Court 
House— Ladies  in  camp  — Chapel  tents. 

THE  Sixth  corps  went  into  camp  on  the  right  of  the 
army,  two  miles  from  Brandy  Station.  We  occupied  land 
belonging  to  John  Minor  Botts.  Mr.  Botts  boasted  that 
he  owned  six  hundred  miles  of  fence  when  we  came  upon 
his  possessions.  He  could  not  say  that  when  we  had  been 
there  a  week !  His  fences  were  burned,  and  his  forests 
cut  down;  and  it  was  generally  known  that  our  chief 
quarter-master  was  paying  him  immense  sums  of  money 
for  the  wood  used  by  our  army. 

At  the  end  of  a  week  it  became  pretty  evident  that  our 
stay  at  Brandy  Station  might  be  of  considerable  duration, 
possibly  for  the  winter.  Accordingly,  the  men  proceeded 
once  more  to  build  houses  for  the  winter ;  and  never,  since 
we  had  been  in  service,  had  they  constructed  so  comfort 
able  quarters  as  they  now  built.  All  about  us  were  the 
rebel  camps,  in  which  they  had  vainly  hoped  to  spend 
the  winter;  and  these  furnished  timbers  already  hewn, 
fine  stones  ready  for  use  in  making  chimneys,  and  hewn 
saplings  ready  prepared  for  bunks.  The  Sixth  corps  was 
encamped  in  a  fine  forest,  which  should  have  furnished  not 
only  great  abundance  of  timber  for  use  about  the  quarters, 
but  for  fuel  for  the  winter ;  but  owing  to  the  wasteful  man 
ner  in  which  the  wood  was  at  first  used  in  building  log  fires 
in  the  open  air,  the  forest  melted  away  before  the  men  had 
37 


290  DIFFICULTIES    OF   AN   ADVANCE. 

fairly  concluded  that  there  was  any  necessity  for  using  it 
economically. 

Preparations  were  hurried  forward  for  another  advance. 
The  railroad,  which  had  been  destroyed  by  the  rebels  at 
the  time  of  the  raid  to  Centreville,  from  the  Rappahannock 
to  Bristoe  Station,  was  to  be  rebuilt,  and  the  bridge  across 
the  Rappahannock,  which  we  had  ourselves  destroyed, 
was  to  be  replaced,  before  the  army  could  safely  under 
take  another  advance.  It  is  one  of  the  mysteries  which 
people  who  have  never  been  connected  with  a  great  army 
have  greatest  difficulty  in  comprehending,  that  an  army 
advancing  into  such  a  country  as  we  were  now  threaten 
ing,  must  have  ample  and  easy  communications  with  its 
base  of  supplies.  Could  such  people  for  a  moment  realize 
the  vast  amount  of  material  consumed  by  such  an  army  as 
ours,  the  mystery  might  be  solved.  To  attempt  to  advance 
into  a  desert  country  without  first  either  providing  a  sup 
ply  for  many  days,  or  opening  ready  communications  with 
our  base  of  supplies,  would  have  been  suicidal.  General 
Sherman  might  lead  his  army  through  a  fertile  country, 
where  the  ravages  of  war  had  not  appeared,  and,  by 
sweeping  across  a  territory  forty  miles  wide,  collect 
abundant  supplies  for  his  men ;  but  our  army  was  now  to 
march  into  a  wilderness  where  even  a  regiment  could  not 
find  subsistence.  The  newspapers  at  the  north  that  con 
demned  the  delay  at  Brandy  Station,  and  sneered  at  the 
idea  that  the  army  needed  a  base  of  supplies,  simply 
exhibited  their  profound  ignorance  of  the  first  principles 
of  campaigning. 

By  the  25th  the  road  was  completed  as  far  as  Brandy 
Station,  the  bridge  rebuilt,  and  a  large  amount  of  supplies 
brought  up ;  and  the  army  was  ordered  to  move  at  an 
early  hour  on  the  26th. 

The  hour  for  moving  was  assigned  each  corps,  and  the 
order  in  which  it  was  to  march,  that  no  delay  or  confusion 


THE    MIXE    RUN    CAMPAIGN.  291 

might  occur.  The  Third  corps  was  to  start  as  soon  as 
daylight,  and  the  Sixth  was  to  follow  it. 

Our  Sixth  corps  was  moving  at  sunrise,  the  hour  desig 
nated,  toward  Brandy  Station.  Presently  the  head  of  the 
column  halted  in  the  midst  of  the  camps  of  the  Third 
corps,  which  were  yet  undisturbed.  According  to  the 
order  for  marching,  the  Third  corps  was  to  precede 
the  Sixth,  and  should  have  been  out  of  camp  before  we 
arrived,  but  as  yet  not  a  tent  was  struck  nor  a  wagon 
loaded,  and  most  of  the  men  were  asleep  in  their  quarters. 
The  Sixth  corps  was  obliged  to  halt  and  stand  in  the  mud 
for  hours,  waiting  for  the  delinquent  corps  to  get  out  of 
the  way.  Here  was  the  first  blunder  of  the  new  campaign. 

At  length  at  eleven  o'clock  we  moved  again,  taking  the 
road  to  the  Rapidan.  Our  march  was  slow  and  tedious, 
and  instead  of  reaching  the  river  at  noon  as  was  expected, 
and  as  General  Meade's  orders  contemplated,  the  head  ol 
the  Third  corps  only  reached  the  river  at  Jacobs'  Ford 
long  after  dark,  and  here  again  a  delay  was  occasioned  by 
a  mistake  of  the  engineers,  who  had  not  brought  a  suf 
ficient  number  of  boats  to  this  point  to  complete  the  pon 
toon  bridge;  a  part  of  the  bridge  had  therefore  to  be 
extemporized  out  of  poles. 

The  road  for  several  miles  was  merely  a  narrow  passage 
cut  through  the  forest ;  a  dense  growth  of  stunted  pines 
and  tangled  bushes,  filling  up  the  space  between  the  trees 
of  larger  growth.  Our  corps  moved  along  very  slowly, 
halting  for  a  moment,  then  advancing  one  or  two  rods, 
then  standing  still  again  for  perhaps  several  minutes,  and 
again  moving  forward  for  a  few  steps.  This  became  very 
tedious.  The  men  were  faint  and  weary,  and  withal  dis 
couraged.  They  were  neither  advancing  nor  resting. 

From  one  end  of  the  column  of  the  Sixth  corps  to  the 
other,  through  the  miles  of  forest  the  shout,  coffee  !  coffee ! 
passed  from  one  regiment  to  another,  until  there  could  be 


292  THE   THIRD    COUPS   DELINQUENT. 

heard  nothing  but  the  vociferous  demand  for  coffee.  At 
eleven  o'clock  at  night  the  order  "ten  minutes  rest  for 
coffee,"  passed  down  the  line  and  was  received  with  shouts 
of  approval.  Instantly  the  roadside  was  illuminated  with 
thousands  of  little  fires,  over  which  the  soldiers  were  cook 
ing  their,  favorite  beverage. 

We  crossed  the  Rapidan  at  Jacobs'  Ford  at  midnight, 
leaving  Upton's  brigade  on  the  north  side  as  rear-guard, 
and  in  another  hour  the  men  had  thrown  themselves  upon 
the  ground  without  waiting  to  erect  shelter  tents,  and 
were  sleeping  soundly  notwithstanding  the  severity  of  the 
cold.  The  Fifth  and  First  corps  had  crossed  at  Culpepper 
Ford  and  the  Second  corps  at  Germania  Ford  about  noon, 
and  were  in  the  positions  assigned  them. 

The  position  assigned  to  the  Third  and  Sixth  corps  was 
not  reached.  These  corps  were  ordered  to  proceed  to 
Robertson's  Tavern,  a  point  some  seven  miles  beyond  the 
ford,  but  the  night  was  far  advanced,  the  men  exhausted 
and  the  country  little  known,  so  these  two  corps  did  not 
seize  this  very  important  point  as  directed.  Of  course 
the  responsibility  for  this  delay  was  not  with  the  Sixtli 
corps  or  its  commander,  who  was  directed  to  follow  the 
Third. 

Next  morning  the  Third  corps  commenced  the  advance, 
and  we  of  the  Sixth  were  drawn  out  in  line  of  march  to 
follow ;  but  it  became  evident  that  the  advance  was  not 
unobstructed.  Sharp  picket  firing  and  the  occasional 
booming  of  cannon  revealed  to  us  the  fact  that  that  corps 
had  fallen  in  with  the  enemy.  Thus  the  day  passed ;  the 
Sixth  corps  resting  quietly,  while  the  Third  was  skirmish 
ing  with  the  enemy  in  front,  until  about  three  o'clock, 
when  the  firing  increased  and  there  was  evidently  a  severe 
engagement  in  front. 

The  First  and  Second  divisions  of  the  Sixth  corps  were 
now  hurried  along  the  narrow  and  winding  path  to  the 


THE  THIKD  COKPS  ENGAGED.  293 

support  of  the  Third  corps  —  our  Third  division  being  left 
near  the  river  to  cover  the  bridges  and  trains.  That  corps 
was  now  fiercely  engaged.  The  sulphurous  smoke  filled 
the  woods,  and  the  roar  of  musketry  became  so  general, 
and  the  forest  echoed  and  ree'choed  the  sound,  so  that  it 
lost  the  rattling  usually  heard,  and  became  a  smooth,  uni 
form  roll.  Our  corps  at  once  took  its  position  in  line  of 
battle,  so  as  to  support  the  Third  corps  and  protect  the 
interval  between  the  Third  and  Second  corps,  with  Ellma- 
ker's  brigade  on  the  right,  and  ISTeill's  and  Upton's  on  the 
left,  while  the  Vermonters  and  Torbert's  Jersey  brigade 
were  held  in  reserve ;  but  the  corps  was  not  called  into 
action.  The  dense  growth  of  young  timber  completely 
obscured  all  view  of  the  operations  at  a  little  distance, 
and,  indeed,  rebel  scouting  parties  were  able  to  hang  close 
upon  our  flanks,  and  even  penetrate  our  lines,  protected 
from  view  and  from  pursuit  by  the  tangled  forest. 

On  our  right,  the  Second  corps  also  encountered  a  force 
of  the  enemy,  and  became  engaged  in  the  vicinity  of  Rob 
ertson's  Tavern.  They  succeeded  in  driving  the  rebel  force, 
which  was  small,  back  to  the  cover  of  the  wilderness. 
Gregg,  also,  with  his  cavalry,  became  engaged,  but  drove 
the  rebels  back. 

It  now  appeared  that  the  fight  of  the  Third  corps  was 
brought  on  by  a  blunder.  General  French,  in  attempting 
to  lead  his  corps  to  Robertson's  Tavern,  had  mistaken  the 
road,  and,  by  bearing  too  far  to  the  west,  had  encountered 
E well's  corps,  which  was  hastening  to  intercept  our  pro 
gress.  The  rebels  made  repeated  charges  upon  the  corps, 
but  were  each  time  repulsed,  and  under  cover  of  the  night 
they  fell  back,  leaving  their  dead  on  the  ground.  The  loss 
to  the  Third  corps  was  between  three  and  four  hundred ; 
that  of  the  rebels,  judging  from  the  dead  left  upon  the 
ground,  must  have  been  greater. 

While  the  fight  was  in  progress,  General  Sedgwick  and 


294  A    SUDDEN    RECOVERY. 

his  staff  dismounted  and  were  reclining  about  a  large  tree, 
when  the  attention  of  all  was  directed  to  two  soldiers  who 
were  approaching,  bearing  between  them  a  stretcher  on 
which  lay  a  wounded  man.  As  the  men  approached  within 
a  few  rods  of  the  place  where  the  general  and  his  staff 
were,  a  solid  cannon  shot  came  shrieking  along,  striking 
both  of  the  stretcher  bearers.  Both  fell  to  the  ground  — 
the  one  behind  fatally  wounded,  the  other  dead.  But  the 
man  upon  the  stretcher  leaped  up  and  ran  away  as  fast  as 
his  legs  could  carry  him,  never  stopping  to  look  behind  at 
his  unfortunate  companions.  Shocking  as  was  the  occur 
rence,  neither  the  general  nor  the  members  of  his  staff 
could  suppress  a  laugh  at  the  speedy  restoration  of  the  man 
who  was  being  borne  disabled  from  the  field. 

The  two  corps  moved  during  the  night  to  Robertson's 
Tavern,  the  destination  which  they  should  have  reached 
twenty-four  hours  before. 

The  unexpected  encounter  with  the  rebels  in  the  Wild 
erness  had  hindered  the  two  corps  thus  long,  and  as  might 
have  been  expected  the  time  was  not  left  unimproved  by 
General  Lee.  On  moving  in  the  morning  on  the  road  to 
Orange  Court  House,  Lee's  whole  army  was  found  strongly 
posted  along  the  banks  of  a  muddy  stream  called  Mine 
Run.  Our  army  was  brought  into  position  on  the  north 
side  of  the  stream,  and  arrangements  commenced  for  a 
general  assault.  Sharp  picket  firing  and  the  occasional 
roar  of  artillery,  warned  us  that  we  were  on  the  eve  of  a 
great  battle.  A  cold  storm  of  rain  rendered  the  situation 
cheerless  and  uncomfortable,  but  the  excitement  of  getting 
into  position,  regiments  and  brigades  marching  from  one 
part  of  the  line  to  another,  now  approaching  where  the 
bullets  of  the  rebel  skirmishers  whistled  about  them,  and 
then  withdrawing  a  little  to  the  rear,  kept  up  the  spirits 
of  the  men  notwithstanding  the  tedious  storm. 

The  greater  part  of  the  lines  of  both  armies  were  in  the 


THE   ARMY   IN   POSITION.  295 

midst  of  forests.  Between  the  two  lines  and  in  the  midst 
of  a  deep  valley,  was  the  little  stream  Mine  Run,  bordered 
on  each  side  by  marshes  in  which  were  luxuriant  growths 
of  reed  grasses.  The  marshes  and  slopes  on  either  side 
were  thickly  set  with  low  pines  and  scrub  oaks,  offering 
concealment  to  both  parties. 

Darkness  closed  over  the  two  armies,  neither  of  which 
was  yet  prepared  for  battle.  The  night  was  spent  by  both 
parties  in  throwing  up  earthworks,  and  the  morning 
revealed  several  strong  lines  of  rifle  pits  on  the  rebel  side 
of  the  stream,  one  commanding  another  so  that  in  case 
they  should  be  driven  from  one  the  next  would  afford  an 
equally  strong  or  even  stronger  position. 

Thus  the  two  armies  remained  during  Sunday.  General 
Meade  still  waiting  to  perfect  his  arrangements. 

During  the  day  the  disposition  of  the  line  was  com 
pleted.  General  Warren  with  his  Second  corps  occupied 
the  extreme  left  of  the  line.  His  position  fronted  a  very 
strong  position  of  the  enemy,  where  the  hills  rose  abruptly 
to  the  rear.  This  being  considered  by  far  the  strongest 
portion  of  the  enemy's  line.  Warren  was  supported  by 
the  Fifth  corps,  two  divisions  of  the  Third  corps,  and  the 
Third  division  of  the  Sixth  corps,  under  General  Terry. 
In  the  center  was  the  First  and  Fifth  corps,  and,  forming 
the  right,  were  the  two  remaining  divisions  of  the  Sixth 
corps  and  what  was  left  of  the  Third.  Our  Second  division 
constituted  the  extreme  right  of  the  line ;  the  Third  brigade 
the  right  of  the  division ;  and  the  Seventy-seventh  New 
York  the  right  of  the  brigade. 

At  two,  A.  M.,  the  Sixth  corps  and  the  division  of  the 
Third,  covered  by  the  woods,  moved  about  two  miles  to  a 
position  on  the  left  flank  of  the  enemy.  The  dense  thicket 
and  a  gentle  eminence  concealed  the  corps  from  the  view 
of  the  rebels,  who  were  but  a  few  yards  distant ;  and  in 
order  to  insure  secresy,  orders  were  issued  that  the  men 


296  A    COLD    NIGHT. 

should  avoid  all  noise,  as  far  as  possible,  and  refrain  from 
lighting  fires. 

It  was  arranged  that  the  grand  attack  should  be  made 
on  Monday  ;  and  early  in  the  evening  the  commanders  of 
corps  were  summoned  to  General  Meade's  head-quarters, 
where  the  plan  of  the  battle  was  laid  before  them. 

At  a  given  signal,  very  early  in  the  morning,  General 
Warren  with  his  strong  force  was  to  press  forward  on  the 
right  of  the  rebel  line.  At  the  same  time  forces  in  the 
center  were  to  open  a  fierce  fire  upon  the  enemy,  while 
the  Sixth  corps,  at  the  same  moment,  was  to  rush  from 
its  concealed  position  and  turn  the  left  flank  of  Lee's  army. 

The  commanders  of  the  divisions  of  the  Sixth  corps 
summoned  the  commanders  of  brigades  and  regiments, 
and  communicated  to  them  also  the  plan  of  the  battle,  and 
assigned  to  each  his  part. 

The  night  was  bitter  cold,  and  the  men  of  our  corps 
were  without  fires.  It  was  vain  to  attempt  to  sleep,  and 
the  men  spent  the  night  in  leaping  and  running  in  efforts 
to  keep  warm. 

No  one  doubted  that  the  morning  was  to  bring  on  one  of 
the  most  terrific  struggles  in  the  history  of  warfare.  "No 
man  knew  what  was  to  be  his  own  fate,  but  each  seemed 
braced  for  the  conflict.  It  was  a  glorious  moonlight,  and 
the  stars  looked  down  in  beauty  from  the  cold  skies  upon 
the  strange  scene.  Thus  all  waited  for  the  day. 
*•  The  morning  dawned ;  and  soon  after  daylight  the  signal 
gun  for  the  grand  attack  was  heard  near  the  center  of  the 
line,  and  an  active  cannonade  commenced  there. 

In  a  short  time  the  order  came  for  the  commencement 
of  the  movement  on  the  right.  The  men  were  ordered  to 
fall  in ;  they  were  faced  to  the  right,  to  move  a  little  far 
ther  in  that  direction  before  making  the  direct  assault ; 
they  stood,  with  their  muskets  on  their  shoulders,  their 
hearts  beating  violently  in  anticipation  of  the  onset  to  be 


ELABORATE  PREPARATIONS.  297 

made  in  another  moment,  when  an  aid  rode  hastily  to 
General  Howe  with  directions  to  suspend  the  movement ! 

Warren,  on  advancing  his  line  of  skirmishers,  and  view 
ing  the  strong  works  thrown  up  by  the  enemy  during  the 
night,  had  sent  word  that  he  could  not  carry  the  position 
before  him.  And  General  Meade  had  ordered  the  whole 
movement  to  be  discontinued  for  the  time. 

Never  before,  in  the  history  of  our  army,  had  such 
elaborate  preparations  been  made  for  an  attack.  Every 
commander  and  every  man  knew  exactly  the  part  he  was 
expected  to  take  in  the  great  encounter,  and  each  had  pre 
pared  himself  for  it.  At  the  hospitals  everything  was  in 
a  state  of  perfect  readiness.  Hospital  tents  were  all  up, 
beds  for  the  wounded  prepared,  operating  tables  were  in 
readiness,  basins  and  pails  stood  filled  with  water,  lint 
and  dressings  were  laid  out  upon  the  tables,  and  surgical 
instruments  spread  out  ready  for  the  grasp  of  the  surgeon. 

All  day  the  men  remained  suffering  with  cold,  their 
hunger  but  partially  satisfied  with  hard  bread  without 
coffee.  It  was  a  day  of  discomfort  and  suffering  long  to 
be  remembered.  It  chanced  that  the  hard  bread  issued 
to  our  division  was  old  and  very  wormy.  It  was,  in  some 
cases,  difficult  for  a  man  to  know  whether  his  diet  was  to 
be  considered  principally  animal  or  vegetable.  Our  Gen 
eral,  Neill,  sat  with  his  staff  munching  some  of  these 
crackers  of  doubtful  character,  when  he  was  handed  one 
unusually  animated.  The  general  broke  the  cracker, 
examined  it  for  a  moment,  and,  handing  it  back  to  the 
servant,  said,  "  Jim,  give  us  one  that  hasn't  so  many  worms 
in  it."  Many  of  the  men  who  were  on  the  picket  line  that 
day  and  the  night  before,  were  found,  when  the  relief  came 
arounds,  dead  at  their  posts,  frozen. 

During  the  night  of  December  1st  and  2d,  the  army 
withdrew  from  Mine  Run.  The  pickets  were  directed  to 
build  fires  and  keep  up  a  show  of  force.  Our  Seventy- 
38 


298  IN   WINTER    QUARTERS. 

seventh  being  that  night  on  the  picket  line,  formed  the 
rear  of  the  rear-guard  of  the  army  on  its  retreat.  It  was 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  December  2d  when  the 
picket  line  was  silently  withdrawn.  After  a  rapid  march, 
it  crossed  the  pontoon  bridge  at  Germania  Ford  at  ten 
o'clock.  Scarcely  had  the  troops  crossed  the  bridge,  when 
the  cavalry  of  the  enemy  made  its  appearance  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river.  The  Seventy-seventh  New  York, 
the  Third  Vermont  and  a  battery  of  artillery  were  directed 
to  remain  and  guard  the  ford,  while  the  remainder  of  the 
army  continued  the  march  to  the  old  camps.  Next  morn 
ing  the  two  regiments  and  the  battery  started  for  Brandy 
Station,  and  that  night  slept  in  their  old  quarters. 

It  was  now  evident  that  we  were  in  permanent  winter 
quarters.  It  is  not  our  purpose  to  discuss  the  merits  of 
this  fruitless  campaign,  but  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to 
recall  some  of  the  facts  relating  to  it.  The  orders  for 
marching  on  the  26th,  were  issued  to  all  the  corps  com 
manders  on  the  evening  previous,  indicating  the  time  for 
leaving  camp.  The  Sixth  corps  was  to  follow  the  Third, 
yet  when  the  Sixth  corps  reached  the  camp  of  that  corps, 
there  were  no  signs  of  moving.  Several  hours  were  thus 
lost  on  the  start.  General  French  declared  that  the  order 
to  move  did  not  reach  him  on  the  previous  evening,  yet 
he  knew  that  the  movement  was  expected  that  day.  As 
the  result  of  this  and  other  delays,  two  corps  did  not 
reach  the  position  assigned  them  on  the  26th. 

When,  on  the  morning  of  the  27th,  General  French  moved 
his  corps  again,  he  took  the  wrong  road,  and  thus  brought 
on  a  premature  engagement,  which  caused  another  delay  of 
twenty-four  hours.  By  this  time  Lee  had  ample  opportunity 
to  concentrate  his  whole  army  in  a  strong  position  on  Mine 
Run.  Had  General  Meade's  orders  been  promptly  obeyed, 
Lee  could  have  offered  no  opposition  to  us  at  that  point, 
and  must  have  accepted  battle  much  nearer  Richmond. 


RECONNOISSANCE   TO   MADISON    COURT   HOUSE.          299 

Our  campaigns  for  1863  were  now  finished ;  the  last  two 
of  these  had  certainly  been  remarkable  episodes  in  the  for 
tunes  of  our  stout-hearted  army.  In  October,  the  rebel 
army  had  followed  us  from  the  Rapidan  to  the  defenses  of 
Washington,  and  in  turn  we  had  pursued  the  confederates 
back  to  the  Rapidan,  all  without  a  battle  of  any  magni 
tude.  Now,  in  November,  our  whole  army  had  crossed 
the  river  and  confronted  the  rebel  army  face  to  face  for 
days,  and  again  we  were  back  in  our  old  camps  without 
an  engagement,  except  the  fight  of  the  Third  corps,  and 
some  skirmishing  on  the  part  of  others. 

During  the  month  of  December,  general  orders  were 
issued  from  the  war  department  offering  to  soldiers  of  the 
arrny,  who  had  already  served  two  years,  and  who  had 
still  a  year  or  less  to  serve,  large  bounties,  a  release  from 
the  term  of  their  former  enlistment  and  thirty-five  days' 
furlough,  as  inducements  for  them  to  reenlist  for  three 
years  from  that  time.  Much  excitement  was  created  by 
the  order  throughout  the  army,  and  thousands  accepted  it, 
nearly  all  claiming  that  they  cared  little  for  the  large 
bounties,  but  that  the  thirty-five  days'  furlough  was  the 
great  inducement. 

The  only  military  movement  of  the  winter  was  Kilpat- 
rick's  great  raid  upon  Richmond,  in  which  the  lamented 
Dahlgren  lost  his  life. 

Simultaneous  with  this  great  raid,  General  Ouster,  with 
a  division  of  cavalry,  made  a  movement  on  Charlottesville, 
and  the  Sixth  corps  was  ordered  to  move  in  that  direction 
as  support  to  the  cavalry.  On  Saturday,  February  27th, 
the  corps,  leaving  its  camp  and  sick  in  charge  of  a  small 
guard,  marched  through  Culpepper  and  proceeded  to 
James  City,  a  Virginia  city  of  two  or  three  houses,  where 
the  bivouac  for  the  night  was  made.  Next  morning  the 
corps  marched  slowly  to  Robertson's  River,  within  three 
miles  of  Madison  Court  House,  the  New  Jersey  brigade 


300  LADIES   IN   CAMP. 

alone  crossing  the  river  and  proceeding  as  far  as  the  latter 
village.  Here  the  corps  lay  all  the  following  day,  and  as 
the  weather  was  pleasant,  the  men  passed  the  time  in 
sports  and  games,  but  at  evening  a  cold  storm  of  rain  set 
in,  continuing  all  night  and  the  next  day,  to  the  great  dis 
comfort  of  all.  Ouster's  cavalry  returned  at  evening  of 
the  1st  of  March,  looking  in  a  sorry  plight  from  their  long 
ride  in  the  mud.  Reveille  sounded  at  five  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  March  2d,  and  at  seven  the  corps  turned 
toward  the  old  camp,  at  which  it  arrived,  after  a  severe 
march  through  the  mud,  at  sunset  the  same  day. 

There  were,  connected  with  our  camp  near  Brandy  Sta 
tion,  many  pleasant  remembrances ;  and  notwithstanding 
a  few  severe  experiences,  this  was  the  most  cheerful  winter 
we  had  passed  in  camp.  One  agreeable  feature  of  this 
encampment  was  the  great  number  of  ladies,  wives  of 
officers,  who  spent  the  winter  with  their  husbands.  On 
every  fine  day  great  numbers  of  ladies  might  be  seen  riding 
about  the  camps  and  over  the  desolate  fields,  and  their  pres 
ence  added  greatly  to  the  brilliancy  of  the  frequent  reviews. 

Great  taste  was  displayed  by  many  officers  in  fitting  up 
their  tents  and  quarters  for  the  reception  of  their  wrives. 
The  tents  were  usually  inclosed  by  high  walls  of  ever 
greens,  woven  with  much  skill,  and  fine  arches  and 
exquisite  designs  beautified  the  entrances  to  these  happy 
retreats.  The  Christian  Commission,  among  other  good 
things  which  it  did  for  the  soldiers,  and,  indeed,  this  was 
among  the  best,  made  arrangements  by  which  it  loaned  to 
nearly  every  brigade  in  the  army,  a  large  canvas,  to  be  used 
as  a  roof  for  a  brigade  chapel.  These  chapels  were  built  of 
logs  and  covered  with  the  canvas,  and  were  in  many  cases 
large  enough  to  hold  three  hundred  people.  Here  religious 
services  were  held,  not  only  on  Sunday,  but  also  on  week 
day  evenings.  A  deep  religious  interest  prevailed  in  many 
of  the  brigades,  and  great  numbers  of  soldiers  professed  to 


BRIGADE    CHAPELS. 


301 


have  met  with  a  change  of  heart.  In  our  Third  brigade, 
this  religious  interest  was  unusually  great;  a  religious 
organization  was  formed  within  the  Seventy-seventh,  and 
Chaplain  Fox  baptized  eleven  members  of  the  regiment  in 
Hazel  river.  A  course  of  literary  lectures  was  also  deliv 
ered  in  the  chapel  of  our  Third  brigade,  and  Washington's 
birthday  was  celebrated  in  it  with  appropriate  ceremonies 
and  addresses.  The  chapel  tent  was  also  a  reading  room, 
where,  owing  to  the  energy  of  Chaplain  Fox,  all  the  princi 
pal  papers,  secular  and  religious,  literary,  military,  pictorial, 
agricultural  and  scientific,  were  furnished ;  and  these  were 
a  great  source  both  of  pleasure  and  profit  to  the  men. 

Our  corps  was  reviewed  by  General  Grant ;  by  the 
Russian  admiral  and  suite,  who  for  the  amusement  of  the 
soldiers,  performed  some  most  ludicrous  feats  in  horseman 
ship  ;  and  by  a  body  of  English  officers.  Never  had  such 
general  good  health  prevailed  among  our  camps,  and  never 
were  the  men  so  well  contented  or  in  so  good  spirits. 


CHURCH    CALL. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE  WILDERNESS  CAMPAIGN. 

Preparing  to  leave  camp— General  Grant  in  command  —  The  last  advance  across 
the  Rapidan  — The  battle-ground  — Battle  of  the  Wilderness— Noble  fight  of 
Getty's  division  — Hancock's  fight  on  the  left  — Rickett's  division  driven  back  — 
The  ground  retaken— The  wounded  — Duties  of  the  surgeons  — The  noble  dead. 

MANY  pleasant  recollections  cluster  around  the  old  camp 
at  Brandy  Station,  which  will  never  be  effaced  from  the 
memory  of  the  soldiers  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

But  at  length  preparations  were  commenced  for  opening 
the  spring  campaign,  and  one  of  the  first  orders,  looking 
toward  the  breaking  up  of  our  camps,  was  one  directing 
that  our  lady  friends  should  take  their  departure,  then 
another  to  send  all  superfluous  camp  equipage  to  the  rear. 

Our  army  had  been  reorganized,  its  five  corps  being 
consolidated  into  three.  The  three  divisions  of  the  First 
corps  were  transferred  to  the  Fifth,  retaining  their  corps 
badges.  Two  divisions  of  the  Third  were  assigned  to  the 
Second,  preserving  their  badges,  while  the  Third  division, 
Third  corps,  was  transferred  permanently  to  the  Sixth 
corps,  and  became  the  Third  division  of  that  corps.  Our 
old  Third  division  was  broken  up,  the  brigades  of  Wheaton 
and  Eustis  being  transferred  to  the  Second  division,  and 
Shaler's  brigade  to  the  First.  Our  corps,  as  reorganized, 
consisted  of  three  divisions,  comprising  eleven  brigades.* 

*  The  corps,  as  reorganized,  was  commanded  as  follows : 

Major-General  John  Sedgwick  commanding  the  corps. 

First  division,  Brigadier-General  H.  G.  Wright,  commanding.  First  brigade, 
Colonel  W.  H.  Penrose ;  Second  brigade,  Colonel  E.  Upton ;  Third  brigade,  Brigadier- 
General  D.  A.  Russell ;  Fourth  brigade,  Brigadier-General  A.  Shaler. 

Second  division,  Brigadier-general  George  W.  Getty,  commanding.  First  brigade, 
Brigadier-General  Frank  Wheaton ;  Second  brigade,  Colonel  L.  A.  Grant ;  Third 


GENERAL  GRANT  IN  COMMAND.  303 

During  the  winter,  congress,  recognizing  the  great 
ability  of  General  Grant,  had  conferred  upon  that  officer 
the  rank  of  Lieutenant-General,  giving  him,  under  the 
President,  command  of  all  the  armies  of  the  United 
States.  General  Grant  at  once  proceeded  to  adopt  a  plan 
for  harmonious  movements  of  all  the  armies.  General 
Sherman,  in  the  west,  was  directed  to  push  vigorously 
southward,  penetrating  the  enemy's  country  as  far  as  pos 
sible,  and  prevent  reinforcements  being  sent  to  Lee's  army 
in  the  east*  General  Butler,  on  the  Peninsula,  was  to 
advance  on  Richmond,  taking  Petersburgh,  and,  if  pos 
sible,  Richmond  itself,  while  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
was  to  attack  Lee's  army  in  the  front,  and  force  it  back 
upon  Richmond  or  destroy  it. 

These  cooperative  movements  having  been  all  arranged, 
each  commander  of  an  army  or  department  informed  not 
only  of  the  part  which  he  was  expected  to  perform  him 
self,  but  what  all  were  expected  to  do,  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  was  ready  to  move.  General  Grant  had  estab 
lished  his  head-quarters  with  that  army. 

At  length  the  order  for  moving  came.  On  the  morning 
of  the  4th  of  May,  reveille  was  sounded  at  half-past  two 
o'clock,  and  at  half-past  four  the  Sixth  corps  moved,  taking 
the  road  to  Germania  Ford. 

It  was  a  lovely  day,  and  all  nature  seemed  rejoicing 
at  the  advent  of  spring.  Flowers  strewed  the  wayside, 
and  the  warble  of  the  blue  bird,  and  the  lively  song  of  the 
sparrow,  were  heard  in  the  groves  and  hedges. 

The  distance  from  our  camps  to  Germania  Ford  was 
sixteen  miles.  This  distance  we  marched  rapidly,  and 
long  before  sunset  we  had  crossed  the  ford  on  pontoon 

brigade,  Brigadier-General  Thomas  H.  Neill;  Fourth  brigade.  Brigadier-General 
L.  A.  Eustis. 

Third  division,  Brigadier-General  James  B.  Ricketts,  commanding.  First  bri 
gade,  Brigadier-General  W.  H.  Morris ;  Second  brigade,  Brigadier-General  Truman 
Seymour;  Third  brigade,  Colonel  Keiffer. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE  WILDERNESS  CAMPAIGN. 

Preparing  to  leave  camp— General  Grant  in  command  — The  last  advance  across 
the  Rapidan  — The  battle-ground  — Battle  of  the  Wilderness  — Noble  fight  of 
Getty's  division  — Hancock's  fight  on  the  left— Rickett's  division  driven  back  — 
The  ground  retaken— The  wounded— Duties  of  the  surgeons  — The  noble  dead. 

MANY  pleasant  recollections  cluster  around  the  old  camp 
at  Brandy  Station,  which  will  never  be  effaced  from  the 
memory  of  the  soldiers  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

But  at  length  preparations  were  commenced  for  opening 
the  spring  campaign,  and  one  of  the  first  orders,  looking 
toward  the  breaking  up  of  our  camps,  was  one  directing 
that  our  lady  friends  should  take  their  departure,  then 
another  to  send  all  superfluous  camp  equipage  to  the  rear. 

Our  army  had  been  reorganized,  its  five  corps  being- 
consolidated  into  three.  The  three  divisions  of  the  First 
corps  were  transferred  to  the  Fifth,  retaining  their  corps 
badges.  Two  divisions  of  the  Third  were  assigned  to  the 
Second,  preserving  their  badges,  while  the  Third  division, 
Third  corps,  was  transferred  permanently  to  the  Sixth 
corps,  and  became  the  Third  division  of  that  corps.  Our 
old  Third  division  was  broken  up,  the  brigades  of  Wheaton 
and  Eustis  being  transferred  to  the  Second  division,  and 
Shaler's  brigade  to  the  First.  Our  corps,  as  reorganized, 
consisted  of  three  divisions,  comprising  eleven  brigades.* 

*  The  corps,  as  reorganized,  was  commanded  as  follows : 

Major-General  John  Sedgwick  commanding  the  corps. 

First  division,  Brigadier-General  H.  G.  Wright,  commanding.  First  brigade, 
Colonel  W.  H.  Penrose ;  Second  brigade,  Colonel  E.  Upton ;  Third  brigade,  Brigadier- 
General  D.  A.  Russell ;  Fourth  brigade,  Brigadier-General  A.  Shaler. 

Second  division,  Brigadier-general  George  W.  Getty,  commanding.  First  brigade. 
Brigadier-General  Frank  Wheaton ;  Second  brigade,  Colonel  L.  A.  Grant ;  Third 


GENERAL  GRANT  IN  COMMAND.  303 

During  the  winter,  congress,  recognizing  the  great 
ability  of  General  Grant,  had  conferred  upon  that  officer 
the  rank  of  Lieutenant-General,  giving  him,  under  the 
President,  command  of  all  the  armies  of  the  United 
States.  General  Grant  at  once  proceeded  to  adopt  a  plan 
for  harmonious  movements  of  all  the  armies.  General 
Sherman,  in  the  west,  was  directed  to  push  vigorously 
southward,  penetrating  the  enemy's  country  as  far  as  pos 
sible,  and  prevent  reinforcements  being  sent  to  Lee's  army 
in  the  eastk  General  Butler,  on  the  Peninsula,  was  to 
advance  on  Richmond,  taking  Petersburgh,  and,  if  pos 
sible,  Richmond  itself,  while  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
was  to  attack  Lee's  army  in  the  front,  and  force  it  back 
upon  Richmond  or  destroy  it. 

These  cooperative  movements  having  been  all  arranged, 
each  commander  of  an  army  or  department  informed  not 
only  of  the  part  which  he  was  expected  to  perform  him 
self,  but  what  all  were  expected  to  do,  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  was  ready  to  move.  General  Grant  had  estab 
lished  his  head-quarters  with  that  army. 

At  length  the  order  for  moving  came.  On  the  morning 
of  the  4th  of  May,  reveille  was  sounded  at  half-past  two 
o'clock,  and  at  half-past  four  the  Sixth  corps  moved,  taking 
the  road  to  Germania  Ford. 

It  was  a  lovely  day,  and  all  nature  seemed  rejoicing 
at  the  advent  of  spring.  Flowers  strewed  the  wayside, 
and  the  warble  of  the  blue  bird,  and  the  lively  song  of  the 
sparrow,  were  heard  in  the  groves  and  hedges. 

The  distance  from  our  camps  to  Germania  Ford  was 
sixteen  miles.  This  distance  we  marched  rapidly,  and 
long  before  sunset  we  had  crossed  the  ford  on  pontoon 

brigade,  Brigadier-General  Thomas  H.  Neill;  Fourth  brigade.  Brigadier-General 
L.  A.  Eustis. 

Third  division,  Brigadier-General  James  B.  Blcketts,  commanding.  First  bri 
gade,  Brigadier-General  W.  H.  Morris ;  Second  brigade,  Brigadier-General  Truman 
Seymour ;  Third  brigade,  Colonel  Keiffer. 


304  CROSSING    THE    RAPID  AN. 

bridges  and  inarched  to  a  point  three  miles  south  of  the 
river,  where  we  bivouacked  for  the  night. 

The  Second  corps,  at  an  earlier  hour,  had  crossed  at 
Ely's  Ford,  and  had  reached  a  position  near  the  old  Chan- 
cellorsville  battle-field,  and  the  Fifth  corps  had  led  the  way 
across  Germania  Ford. 

The  infantry  had  been  preceded  by  the  cavalry  divisions 
of  Gregg  and  Wilson,  under  Sheridan.  They  had  fallen 
in  with  a  small  picket  force  which,  after  exchanging  a  few 
shots,  had  beat  a  hasty  retreat. 

Before  night  the  army  and  the  greater  part  of  our  trains 
had  effected  a  crossing  without  opposition;  and,  doubt 
less,  much  to  the  surprise  and  chagrin  of  General  Lee,  we 
were  holding  strong  positions,  from  which  it  would  hardly 
be  possible  to  force  us. 

Except  slight  skirmishes  in  front  of  Hancock's  Second 
corps,  there  was  no  fighting  on  the  fourth  of  May.  At 
seven  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  fifth,  the  Sixth  corps 
moved  southward  about  two  miles  on  the  Wilderness  plank 
road.  Here  the  corps  rested  until  eleven  o'clock,  while 
artillery  and  cavalry  passed  along  the  road  in  a  continuous 
column.  At  eleven  o'clock  the  corps  faced  to  the  front, 
and  advanced  into  the  Avoods  which  skirted  the  road. 

The  Sixth  corps  now  occupied  the  extreme  right  of  the 
line,  General  Warren's  Fifth  corps  the  center,  and  Han 
cock's  Second  corps  was  on  the  left,  near  Chancellorsville. 
Between  Warren  and  Hancock  was  an  unoccupied  space  — 
a  point  of  vital  importance  to  our  line.  Thither  General 
Getty,  with  the  First,  Second  and  Fourth  brigades  of  our 
Second  division,  was  sent  to  hold  the  ground  till  Hancock, 
who  was  ordered  to  come  up,  should  arrive.  Our  Third 
brigade  being  all  that  was  left  of  the  Second  division,  it 
was  assigned  to  the  First  division.  General  Meade's  head 
quarters  were  just  in  rear  of  the  Fifth  corps.  The  wood 
through  which  our  line  was  now  moving  was  a  thick  growth 


CHARACTER    OF   THE   WILDERNESS.  305 

of  oak  and  walnut,  densely  filled  with  a  smaller  growth  of 
pines  and  other  brushwood ;  and  in  many  places  so  thickly 
was  this  undergrowth  interwoven  among  the  large  trees, 
that  one  could  not  see  five  yards  in  front  of  the  line.  Yet, 
as  we  pushed  on,  with  as  good  a  line  as  possible,  the  thick 
tangle  in  a  measure  disappeared,  and  the  woods  were  more 
open.  Still,  in  the  most  favorable  places,  the  thicket  was 
so  close  as  to  make  it  impossible  to  manage  artillery  or 
cavalry,  and,  indeed,  infantry  found  great  difficulty  in 
advancing,  and  at  length  we  were  again  in  the  midst  of 
the  thick  undergrowth. 

Warren's  corps,  on  our  left,  was  already  fighting,  and 
forcing  the  enemy  to  retire  from  his  front,  when  our  own 
corps  struck  the  rebel  skirmishers,  who  steadily  fell  back, 
disputing  the  ground.  As  our  line  advanced,  it  would 
suddenly  come  upon  a  line  of  gray-coated  rebels,  lying 
upon  the  ground,  covered  with  dried  leaves,  and  concealed 
by  the  chapparal,  when  the  rebels  would  rise,  deliver  a 
murderous  fire,  and  retire. 

We  thus  advanced  through  this  interminable  forest  more 
than  a  mile  and  a  half,  driving  the  rebel  skirmishers  before 
us,  when  we  came  upon  their  line  of  battle,  which  refused 
to  retire. 

Neill's  brigade  and  the  New  Jersey  brigade  were  in  the 
first  line  of  battle,  at  the  foot  of  a  slope,  and  in  the  rear 
of  these  two  brigades  were  Russell's,  Upton's  and  Shaler's. 
On  the  left  of  the  First  division  were  Seymour's  and 
Keiffer's  brigades,  General  Morris  with  his  brigade  remain 
ing  on  the  right. 

The  enemy  now  charged  upon  our  lines,  making  a  desper 
ate  effort  to  turn  our  right  flank,  but  without  avail.  Again 
and  again  the  rebels  in  columns  rushed  with  the  greatest 
fury  upon  the  two  brigades  in  front,  without  being  able  to 
move  them  from  their  position.  At  half-past  three  o'clock 
our  sufferings  had  been  so  great  that  General  Sedgwick 
39 


306  BATTLE    OF   THE    WILDERNESS. 

sent  a  messenger  to  General  Burnside,  who  had  now 
crossed  his  corps  at  Germania  Ford,  with  a  request  that 
he  would  send  a  division  to  our  assistance. 

The  assistance  was  promised,  but  an  order  from  General 
Grant  made  other  disposition  of  the  division,  and  what 
remained  of  the  noble  old  Sixth  corps  was  left  to  hold  its 
position  alone.  At  four,  or  a  little  later,  the  rebels  retired, 
leaving  many  of  their  dead  upon  the  ground,  whom  they 
were  unable  to  remove.  In  these  encounters  the  Seventh 
Maine  and  Sixty-first  Pennsylvania  regiments  of  Neill's 
brigade,  who  were  on  the  right  flank,  received  the  heaviest 
onsets,  and  suffered  most  severely.  At  one  time  the 
Maine  regiment  found  itself  flanked  by  a  brigade  of  rebels. 
Changing  front  the  gallant  regiment  charged  to  the  rear 
and  scattered  its  opponents  in  confusion.  The  opposing 
lines  were  upon. the  two  slopes  of  a  ravine,  through  which 
ran  a  strip  of  level  marshy  ground,  densely  wooded  like  the 
rest  of  the  wilderness.  The  confederates  now  commenced 
to  strengthen  the  position  on  their  side  of  the  ravine,  fell- 
ino;  timber  and  covering:  it  with  earth.  The  woods 

S  O 

resounded  with  the  strokes  of  their  axes,  as  the  busy 
workmen  plied  their  labor  within  three  hundred  yards, 
and  in  some  places  less  than  one  hundred  yards  of  our 
line,  yet  so  dense  was  the  thicket  that  they  were  entirely 
concealed  from  our  view. 

Meanwhile  the  battle  had  raged  furiously  along  the 
whole  line.  The  rattle  of  musketry  would  swell  into  a 
full  continuous  roar  as  the  simultaneous  discharge  of  ten 
thousand  guns  mingled  in  one  grand  concert,  and  then 
after  a  few  minutes,  become  more  interrupted,  resem 
bling  the  crash  of  some  huge  king  of  the  forest  when  felled 
by  the  stroke  of  the  woodman's  axe.  Then  would  be 
heard  the  wild  yells  which  always  told  of  a  rebel  charge, 
and  again  the  volleys  would  become  more  terrible  and  the 
broken,  crashing  tones  would  swell  into  one  continuous 


GETTY'S  DIVISION  DETACHED.  307 

roll  of  sound,  which  presently  would  be  interrupted  by  the 
vigorous  manly  cheers  of  the  northern  soldiers,  so  different 
from  the  shrill  yell  of  the  rebels,  and  which  indicated  a 
repulse  of  their  enemies.  Now  and  then  the  monotony  of 
the  muskets  was  broken  by  a  few  discharges  of  artillery, 
which  seemed  to  come  in  as  a  double  bass  in  this  concert 
of  death,  but  so  impenetrable  was  the  forest  that  little 
use  was  made  of  artillery,  and  the  work  of  destruction 
was  carried  on  with  the  rifles. 

Warren's  corps,  first  engaged,  had  nobly  withstood  the 
fierce  assaults  upon  the  center  of  the  line,  and  had  even 
advanced  considerably.  Hancock's  command  was  also 
hotly  engaged.  In  the  commencement  of  the  battle,  three 
brigades  of  the  Second  division,  the  First,  Second  and 

O  / 

Fourth,  with  our  commander,  General  Getty,  were  taken 
from  the  Sixth  corps  and  sent  to  the  right  of  Warren's 
corps,  to  seize  and  hold  the  intersection  of  the  Brock  road 
and  the  Orange  county  turnpike,  a  point  of  vital  import 
ance,  and  which,  as  Hancock's  corps  was  still  far  to  the  left 
near  Chancellorsville,  was  entirely  exposed.  Toward  this 
point  Hill  was  hastening  his  rebel  corps  down  the  turnpike, 
with  the  design  of  interposing  between  Hancock  and  the 
main  army.  No  sooner  had  the  division  reached  the  cross 
ing  of  the  two  roads  than  the  First  brigade,  General 
Wheaton's,  became  hotly  engaged  with  Hill's  corps,  which 
was  coming  down  the  road  driving  some  of  our  cavalry 
before  it.  The  Yermont  brigade  quickly  formed  on  the 
left  of  the  plank  road,  and  the  Fourth  brigade  on  the  right 
of  the  First.  The  engagement  became  general  at  once,  and 
each  brigade  was  suffering  heavy  losses.  The  men  hugged 
the  ground  closely,  firing  as  rapidly  as  possible. 

Hancock's  corps  was  advancing  from  the  left,  but  thus 
for  the  division  was  holding  the  ground  alone.  An  attack 
by  the  three  brigades  was  ordered,  and  the  line  was  con- 


308  GALLANTRY    OP   THE    DIVISION. 

siderably  advanced.  Again  the  men  hugged  the  ground, 
the  rebels  doing  the  same. 

Thus,  holding  the  ground  against  vastly  superior  num 
bers,  the  division  sustained  the  weight  of  the  rebel  attacks 
until  long  after  noon,  when  some  of  Hancock's  regiments 
came  to  its  support.  With  the  heroic  valor  for  which  the 
division  was  so  well  known  throughout  the  army,  it  with 
stood  the  force  of  the  rebels  until  its  lines  were  terribly 
thinned.  The  First  brigade  had  held  the  ground  with 
desperate  valor,  and  our  friends,  the  Vermonters,  fought 
with  that  gallantry  which  always  characterized  the  sons 
of  the  Green  Mountain  State.  Their  noblest  men  were 
falling  thickly,  yet  they  held  the  road. 

As  Hancock  joined  his  corps  on  the  left  of  Getty's  divi 
sion,  he  ordered  a  charge  along  the  whole  line,  and  again 
the  carnage  became  fearful.  For  two  hours  the  struggle 
continued,  and  when  the  sounds  of  battle  became  less,  and 
as  darkness  finally  came  over  the  wilderness,  it  brought  a 
season  of  respite  to  the  hard  fought  divisions. 

A  thousand  brave  men  of  the  Vermont  brigade,  and 
nearly  as  many  of  Wheaton's  brigade,  with  hundreds  from 
the  Fourth  brigade,  had  fallen  upon  that  bloody  field. 

In  the  evening  the  contest  was  renewed,  especially 
along  the  line  of  the  Sixth  corps,  and  the  dark  woods 
were  lighted  with  the  flame  from  the  mouths  of  tens  of 
thousands  of  muskets. 

Charges  and  counter-charges  followed  each  other  in 
quick  succession,  and  the  rebel  yell  and  northern  cheer 
were  heard  alternately,  but  no  decided  advantage  was 
gained  by  either  party.  At  two  o'clock  at  night  the  battle 
died  away,  but  there  was  no  rest  for  the  weary  soldiers 
after  the  fatiguing  duties  of  the  day.  Each  man  sat  with 
musket  in  hand  during  the  wearisome  hours  of  the  night, 
prepared  for  an  onset  of  the  enemy.  Skirmishing  was 
kept  up  during  the  entire  night,  and  at  times  the  musketry 


BATTLE    ON   THE    SIXTH.  309 

would  break  out  in  full  volleys,  which  rolled  along  the 
opposing  lines  until  they  seemed  vast  sheets  of  flame. 

The  position  of  the  two  armies  on  the  morning  of  the 
6th  was  substantially  that  of  the  day  before;  the  Sixth 
corps  on  the  right,  its  rear  on  Wilderness  Run  near  the 
old  Wilderness  Tavern,  the  Fifth  corps  next  on  its  left, 
and  the  Second  corps  with  three  brigades  of  the  Second 
division  Sixth  corps,  on  the  left ;  the  line  extending  about 
five  miles.  Besides  these  corps,  General  Burnside  was 
bringing  his  troops  into  the  line. 

Between  the  two  armies  lay  hundreds  of  dead  and  dying 
men  whom  neither  army  could  remove,  and  over  whose 
bodies  the  fight  must  be  renewed. 

The  battle  was  opened  at  daylight  by  a  fierce  charge 
of  the  enemy  on  the  Sixth  corps,  and  soon  it  raged  along 
the  whole  line.  The  volleys  of  musketry  echoed  and 
reechoed  through  the  forests  like  peals  of  thunder,  and  the 
battle  surged  to  and  fro,  now  one  party  charging,  and 
now  the  other,  the  interval  between  the  two  armies  being 
fought  over  in  many  places  as  many  as  five  times,  leaving 
the  ground  covered  with  dead  and  wounded.  Those  of  the 
wounded  able  to  crawl,  reached  one  or  the  other  line,  but  the 
groans  of  others,  who  could  not  move,  lent  an  additional 
horror  to  the  terrible  scene  whenever  there  was  a  lull  in 
the  battle.  At  ten  o'clock  the  roar  of  battle  ceased,  and 
from  that  time  until  five  P.  M.,  it  was  comparatively  quiet 
in  front  of  the  Sixth  corps,  but  from  the  left  where  Han 
cock's  corps  and  Getty's  braves  were  nobly  battling,  the 
war  of  musketry  was  incessant.  There,  Hancock  had 
formed  his  troops  in  several  lines  of  battle,  and  advanced 
them  upon  the  plank  road.  Getty's  troops,  their  ranks 
having  been  so  terribly  shattered  the  day  before,  were 
allowed  to  form  in  the  rear.  The  attack  was  commenced, 
but  presently  the  enemy  came  down  in  terrible  fury  upon 
Hancock's  lines.  One  after  another  was  swept  away, 


310  DEATH    OF   WADS  WORTH. 

leaving  no  Union  troops  in  front  of  Getty.  Now  the 
exulting  rebels  came  with  stunning  force  against  the  Sixth 
corps  men.  They  had  prepared  breastworks  of  logs  and 
decayed  wood,  and  against  these  light  defenses  the  rebels 
charged,  but  only  to  meet  with  a  deadly  repulse.  Again  and 
again  the  charge  was  renewed,  and  as  often  the  brave  men 
who  had  seen  nearly  three  thousand  of  their  comrades  fall 
on  the  day  before,  sent  the  confederates  back  from  the 
road.  At  length,  the  divisions  on  the  right  and  left  of 
Getty  having  fallen  back  to  the  Brock  road,  the  division 
was  forced  to  fall  back  to  the  road  also,  but  only  after 
exhibiting  a  steadiness  and  valor  rarely  equaled  by  any 
troops. 

The  road  was  held,  in  spite  of  every  effort  of  the  enemy 
to  take  it ;  but  the  noble  soldier  and  patriotic  gentleman, 
General  Wads  worth,  lost  his  life  while  striving  to  rally 
his  division  to  hold  the  ground  against  the  confederates. 

Although  the  storm  of  battle  had  abated  in  our  front,  the 
rebels  had  stationed  sharpshooters  in  the  trees  and  other 
advantageous  positions,  who  kept  up  an  incessant  and 
annoying  fire,  and  now  and  then  a  shell  from  a  rebel  bat 
tery  would  drop  into  our  ranks.  By  these,  the  corps  lost 
many  men. 

Until  the  evening  of  the  6th,  our  Third  brigade  of  the 
Second  division,  and  the  New  Jersey  brigade  of  the  First 
division  of  the  Sixth  corps,  had  occupied  the  right  of  the  line 
of  battle  along  the  base  of  our  slope  of  the  ravine.  Other 
portions  of  the  First  division,  and  the  Third  division,  occu 
pying  a  position  in  our  rear,  on  the  summit  of  the  slope, 
had  been  engaged  during  the  day  in  throwing  up  earth 
works.  At  5  P.  M.,  the  two  advance  brigades  received 
orders  to  fall  back  to  the  cover  of  these  breastworks. 

For  thirty  hours  the  Sixth  corps,  stripped  of  three  brig 
ades  of  its  veteran  troops,  weary  from  fighting  and  fasting, 
had  been  patiently  waiting  for  the  relief  promised  it  long 


THE    RIGHT   FLANK   TURNED.  311 

ago,  and  steadily  holding  its  ground  until  half  of  the 
advance  brigades  and  almost  half  of  the  corps  was 
destroyed. 

Thirty  hours  before,  General  Sedgwick  had  sent  word 
that  the  rebels  were  trying  to  turn  our  flank,  and  begged 
that  support  might  be  sent;  but  no  support  had  come. 
These  breastworks  had  been  prepared  to  give  the  exhausted 
corps  a  little  protection,  that  they  might,  by  falling  back 
to  their  cover,  occupy  a  stronger  and  less  exposed  position. 

Soon  after  five  o'clock,  the  brigades  commenced  falling 
back  to  these  works.  The  rebels  discovered  the  move 
ment,  and  thought  it  was  a  retreat.  They  were  evidently 
already  prepared  for  a  desperate  assault  upon  our  flank ;  and 
now  that  there  seemed  a  retreat,  there  was  no  longer  any 
hesitation.  Cheer  after  cheer  arose  from  the  rebel  ranks, 
and,  in  fifteen  minutes  after,  their  yells  were  mingled 
with  terrific  volleys  of  musketry,  as  they  poured  in  over 
whelming  numbers  upon  our  flanks. 

A  brief  description  of  the  position  will  explain  the 
nature  of  the  movement,  which  lost  to  the  Sixth  corps 
the  position  it  had  held  for  a  day  and  a  half. 

When  the  brigades  which  had  occupied  the  base  of  the 
slope  fell  back  to  the  breastworks,  the  line  of  battle  was 
arranged  thus :  on  the  extreme  right  was  the  Third  division 
—  a  division  but  a  few  days  before  joined  to  the  corps  —  a 
division  composed  mostly  of  new  troops  who  had  never 
before  faced  an  enemy,  and  none  of  them  had  ever  had 
any  connection  with  the  already  historic  fame  of  that 
glorious  corps.  Next  on  the  left  was  the  First  division, 
and  joining  this  division  on  the  left  was  our  own  Third 
brigade  of  the  Second  division. 

The  assault  of  the  rebels  fell  upon  the  green  troops  of 
the  Third  division,  who,  seized  with  consternation,  fled  in 
confusion  without  attempting  resistance.  General  Sey 
mour  whose  gallant  conduct  up  to  this  time  had  won  for 


312  THE    THIRD   DIVISION   BROKEN. 

him  the  admiration  of  all,  made  desperate  attempts  to 
rally  his  panic-stricken  brigade  and  refused  to  go  to  the 
rear  with  them.  While  thns  striving  vainly  to  restore 
order  to  his  shattered  command,  rushing  to  the  front  and 
attempting  by  his  own  manner  to  inspire  courage  in  his 
men,  he  was  surrounded  by  the  enemy  and  captured.  He 
had  but  just  returned  from  the  rebel  prisons  where  he  had 
been  since  the  unfortunate  battle  of  Olustee. 

The  hasty  flight  of  the  Third  division  opened  the  flank 
and  rear  of  the  First  division  to  the  charge  of  the  rebels, 
who  now  rushed  on  with  redoubled  fury  and  with  demon 
iac  yells,  carrying  everything  before  them.  The  First 
division  fell  back,  but  not  in  the  disorder  and  confusion  of 
the  other.  General  Shaler,  with  a  large  part  of  his  brig 
ade,  which  held  that  part  of  the  line  joining  the  Third 
division,  was  captured  while  vainly  striving  to  resist  the 
onset  of  the  rebel  forces. 

The  regiments  of  our  Third  brigade  were  forced  from 
the  rifle  pits,  leaving  the  Seventy-seventh  regiment  and  a 
part  of  the  Forty-third  alone  contending  the  ground, 
exposed  to  a  galling  fire  on  front,  flank  and  rear.  The 
gallant  regiments  remained  in  the  breastworks,  pouring 
their  fire  into  the  enemy's  ranks  until  ordered  to  withdraw, 
to  save  themselves  from  capture. 

The  right  wing,  if  not  the  whole  army,  was  now  in  dan 
ger.  It  was  at  such  times  that  the  great  spirit  of  the 
noble  Sedgwick  rose  to  the  control  of  events.  It  seemed 
to  require  adversity  to  bring  out  all  the  grand  qualities 
of  his  nature.  We  had  witnessed  his  imperturbable 
bravery  and  determination  on  the  retreat  to  Banks'  Ford, 
his  unsurpassed  heroism  at  Antietam,  when  he  kept  the 
field  after  he  was  thrice  wounded,  was  familiar  to  the 
nation,  and  now  we  were  to  see  another  manifestation  of 
his  indomitable  courage. 

Rushing  here  and  there,  regardless  of  personal  safety, 


GENERAL    SEDGWICK.  313 

he  faced  the  disordered  mass  of  fugitives  of  the  Third 
division,  and  with  threats  and  entreaties  prevailed  upon 
them  to  halt ;  then  turning  to  the  veterans  of  the  First 
division,  he  shouted  to  them  to  remember  the  honor  of  the 
old  Sixth  corps.  That  was  an  irresistible  appeal,  and 
the  ranks  of  the  First  division  and  of  our  Third  brigade 
were  formed  along  the  turnpike,  which  was  at  right  angles 
to  our  former  position.  The  corps  now  charged  upon 
the  exultant  foe,  and  forced  them  back  until  our  breast 
works  were  recaptured ;  but  our  flank  was  too  much 
exposed,  and  again  the  enemy  charged  upon  our  front  and 
flank,  forcing  the  corps  to  wheel  back  to  the  turnpike, 
where  it  had  first  rallied. 

General  Sedgwick  now  ordered  another  charge,  and 
bravely  the  men  rushed  forward,  ready  to  obey  any  order 
from  the  revered  lips  of  "  Uncle  John"  The  enemy  was 
again  forced  back,  and  again  the  corps  occupied  the 
breastworks.  It  was  now  dark,  but  the  roar  of  mus 
ketry  mingled  with  the  deep  toned  artillery  shook  the 
ground,  and  the  dense  forest  was  lighted  by  the  scores  of 
thousands  of  flashing  rifles  which  sent  death  to  unseen 
foes. 

The  corps  had  not  recovered  its  line  of  works  without 
sacrifice,  for  the  ground  in  our  rear  was  covered  with  our 
fallen  comrades,  while  many  more  had  been  captured  by 
the  enemy.  But  we  were  now  able  to  hold  the  ground. 
The  temporary  disorder  had  arisen,  and  had  been  mostly 
confined  to  the  new  troops,  and  even  these,  when  rallied 
from  their  momentary  confusion,  had  fought  with  heroic 
valor.  Although,  for  a  time,  forced  back  by  the  surprise 
of  the  rebel  onset,  the  old  troops  of  the  corps  had  shown 
no  want  of  courage.  The  Sixth  corps  proper  had  not  lost 
its  pristine  glory.  Something  of  a  panic  had  been  created 
among  the  teamsters  in  the  rear,  and  before  dark  the  trains 
were  hurrying  toward  Chancellorsville. 
40 


314  THE   FIELD    HOSPITALS. 

Leaving  the  excitement  of  the  battle,  let  us  now  turn 
where  the  results  of  this  carnage  are  seen  in  their  sober 
reality.  While  we  stand  in  line  of  battle  we  see  little  of 
the  frightful  havoc  of  war.  The  wounded  drop  about 
us,  but,  except  those  left  on  disputed  ground  and  unable 
to  crawl  away,  they  are  carried  instantly  to  the  rear.  The 
groans  and  cries  of  the  wounded  and  dying,  of  which  we 
so  often  read  as  filling  up  the  grand  discord  of  sounds  on 
the  battle-field,  are  things  scarcely  known  in  actual  war. 
Rarely,  as  in  the  present  battles,  wounded  men,  unable  to 
get  away,  are  left  between  the  lines  in  such  numbers  that, 
when  the  musketry  dies  away,  their  groans  become  heart 
rending.  But  this  is  not  usual. 

But  at  the  field  hospitals,  the  work  of  destruction 
is  seen  in  all  its  horrors.  There,  wounded  men  by  thou 
sands  are  brought  together,  filling  the  tents  and  stretched 
upon  every  available  spot  of  ground  for  many  rods  around. 
Surgeons,  with  never  tiring  energy,  are  ministering  to  their 
wants,  giving  them  food,  dressing  their  wounds  or  standing 
at  the  operating  table  removing  the  shattered  fragments 
of  limbs.  Men  wounded  in  every  conceivable  way,  men 
with  mutilated  bodies,  with  shattered  limbs  and  broken 
heads,  men  enduring  their  injuries  with  heroic  patience, 
and  men  giving  way  to  violent  grief,  men  stoically  indif 
ferent,  and  men  bravely  rejoicing  that  it  is  only  a  leg.  To 
all  these  the  surgeons  are  to  give  such  relief  as  lies  in  their 
power,  a  task  the  very  thoughts  of  which  would  overcome 
physicians  at  home,  but  upon  which  the  army  surgeon 
enters  with  as  much  coolness  and  confidence  as  though  he 
could  do  it  all  at  once.  He  has  learned  to  do  what  he  can. 
Contenting  himself  with  working  day  and  night  without 
respite,  and  often  without  food,  until,  by  unremitting  but 
quiet  toil,  the  wants  of  all  are  relieved.  No  class  of  men 
in  the  army  perform  so  great  labors  with  so  little  credit  as 
the  surgeons. 


LABOR    OF   THE    SURGEONS.  315 

Lest  the  author  should  be  accused  of  undue  partiality 
for  his  own  staff,  lie  will  quote  the  words  of  an  unpreju 
diced  witness,  who,  in  speaking  of  the  labor,  the  anxiety 
and  the  responsibility  imposed  upon  the  surgeons  after  a 
great  battle,  says : 

"  The  devotion,  the  solicitude,  the  unceasing  efforts  to 
remedy  the  defects  of  the  situation,  the  untiring  attentions 
to  the  wounded,  upon  their  part,  were  so  marked  as  to 
be  apparent  to  all  who  visited  the  hospitals.  It  must  be 
remembered  that  these  same  officers  had  endured  the  pri 
vations  and  fatigues  of  the  long  forced  marches  with  the 
rest  of  the  army ;  they  had  shared  its  dangers,  for  one 
medical  officer  from  each  regiment  follows  it  into  battle, 
and  is  liable  to  the  accidents  of  war,  as  has  been  repeat 
edly  and  fatally  the  case ;  that  its  field  hospitals  are  often, 
from  the  changes  of  the  line  of  battle,  brought  under  fire 
of  the  enemy,  and  that  while  in  this  situation  these  sur 
geons  are  called  upon  to  exercise  the  calmest  judgment, 
to  perform  the  most  critical  and  serious  operations,  and 
this  quickly  and  continuously.  The  battle  ceasing,  their 
labors  continue.  While  other  officers  are  sleeping,  renew 
ing  their  strength  for  further  efforts,  the  medical  are  still 
toiling.  They  have  to  improvise  hospitals  ffom  the  rudest 
materials,  are  obliged  to  "  make  bricks  without  straw,"  to 
surmount  seeming  impossibilities.  The  work  is  unending 
both  by  day  and  night,  the  anxiety  is  constant,  and  the 
strain  upon  both  the  physical  and  mental  faculties  unceas 
ing.  Thus,  after  this  battle,  operators  had  to  be  held  up 
while  performing  the  operations,  and  fainted  from  exhaus 
tion  the  operation  finished.  One  completed  his  labors  to 
be  seized  with  partial  paralysis,  the  penalty  of  his  over 
exertion. 

"  While  his  duties  are  as  arduous,  his  exposure  as  great, 
and  the  mortality  from  disease  and  injury  as  large  as 
among  other  staff  officers  of  similar  rank,  the  surgeon  has 


316  SIXTH    CORPS    HOSPITALS. 

no  prospect  of  promotion,  of  a  brevet  or  an  honorable 
mention,  to  stimulate  him.  His  duties  are  performed 
quietly,  unostentatiously.  He  does  his  duty  for  his  coun 
try's  sake,  for  the  sake  of  humanity."* 

The  labors  of  the  medical  offioers  had  never  been  so 
great  as  at  these  battles.  Thousands  of  wounded  men 
were  stretched  in  and  about  the  several  field  hospitals, 
and  long  trains  of  ambulances,  loaded  with  more  bleeding 
victims,  were  constantly  bringing  in  new  subjects  of  care. 

The  hospitals  of  the^  Sixth  corps  were  located,  that  of 
the  First  division  about  a  large  house  near  the  turnpike, 
in  rear  of  the  position  of  the  division ;  that  of  the  Third 
division  was  near  by,  and  the  hospital  of  our  Second  divi 
sion  was  placed  on  the  banks  of  Wilderness  Run,  near  the 
old  gold  mine,  and  within  a  few  rods  of  General  Meade's 
head-quarters.  The  hospitals  of  the  Fifth  corps  were  also 
within  a  short  distance,  on  the  left. 

At  the  hospital  of  our  Second  division,  the  scene  was 
one  of  activity  and  sadness.  Never  had  so  many  of  our 
choice  spirits  been  brought  to  the  rear,  and  never  had 
the  division  been  bereft  of  so  many  of  its  brightest  orna 
ments  by  death. 

All  the  hospital  tents  belonging  to  the  division  were 
filled  to  overflowing  with  the  unfortunate  victims  of  the 
battle.  There,  all  the  space  between  the  different  rows  of 
tents,  and  for  many  yards  in  front  and  rear,  was  covered 
with  others,  for  whom  there  was  no  room  under  the  canvas, 
and,  finally,  long  rows  of  them  were  laid  upon  the  ground 
at  a  little  distance  from  the  hospitals  as  close  as  they  could 
lie,  covering  many  rods  of  ground. 

In  the  operating  tents,  the  surgeons  assigned  to  the  duty 
of  performing  operations  plied  their  work  without  rest 
from  the  time  the  battle  commenced  until  its  close,  day 

*  J.  II.  Douglass,  Assistant  Secretary  Sanitary  Commission. 


LEAVING   THE    WOUNDED.  317 

and  night,  while  dressers,  and  those  whose  duty  it  was 
to  supply  the  wounded  with  food,  were  untiring  in  their 
zeal. 

At  midnight  of  the  6th,  the  operators  were  directed  to 
cease  their  work.  Ambulances  and  army  wagons  in  great 
numbers  were  loaded  with  the  wounded,  and  the  whole 
train,  accompanied  by  the  surgeons,  moved  toward  Chaii- 
cellorsville,  taking  the  turnpike  along  the  rear  of  the  army. 
But,  with  all  the  ambulances  and  army  wagons  at  command, 
hundreds  of  these  unfortunate  heroes  were  left  behind ;  and 
as  it  was  known  that  our  line  of  battle  was  to  fall  back 
within  a  few  hours,  preparations  were  made  for  their  care 
when  they  should  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  Four 
assistant  surgeons  from  each  division,  a  number  of  hospital 
tents,  a  supply  of  hard  bread  and  beef,  with  dressings  and 
instruments,  were  left  behind ;  and  with  sad  hearts,  their 
companions  bade  them  farewell.  Like  preparations  were 
made  by  the  other  corps,  for  those  of  the  wounded  who 
must  be  left  to  their  fate.  The  long  train  bearing  the 
wounded  reached  the  left  of  the  old  battle-field  of  Chan- 
cellorsvilte  toward  morning,  and  at  once  the  labor  of 
reestablishing  the  hospitals  commenced.  Tents  were 
erected,  the  ambulances  unloaded,  and  the  surgeons, 
already  worn  out  by  forty  hours  of  incessant  toil,  resumed 
their  work. 

When  the  Sixth  corps  reoccupied  the  breastworks  at 
dark  on  the  6th,  it  was  desirable  that  the  right  flank 
should  be  protected  by  old  and  reliable  troops.  NeilPs 
Third  brigade  was  assigned  to  that  position,  the  Seventy- 
seventh  being  upon  the  extreme  right,  the  Sixty-first  Penn 
sylvania  thrown  out  at  right  angles  to  protect  the  rear. 
On  the  left  of  the  Seventy-seventh  was  the  Forty-ninth 
New  York,  the  Seventh  Maine  was  next,  then  the  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-second,  and  the  Forty-third  ISTew 
York  was  on  the  left  of  the  brigade. 


318 

All  was  now  quiet.  ISTo  sound  was  heard  except  now 
and  then  the  suppressed  tones  of  officers  in  command. 
The  stars  shone  through  the  openings  among  the  trees 
upon  a  long  line  of  dusky  forms  lying  close  behind  the 
sheltering  breastworks,  as  silent  as  death  but  ready  at  an 
instant  to  pour  out  a  storm  of  destruction.  A  row  of 
bayonets  projected  over  the  breastworks ;  an  abattis 
of  steel  awaiting  the  momentarily  expected  onset  of  the 
enemy. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  low  tones  of  command  of  the  rebel 
officers  were  heard  as  they  urged  their  men  against  our 
rear  and  flank.  Colonel  Smith  of  the  Sixty-first  Pennsyl 
vania,  ordered  his  men  to  lie  down,  for  they  had  no 
breastworks,  and  to  reserve  their  fire.  Nearer  and  nearer 
came  the  dark  line,  until  within  twenty  feet  of  the  recum 
bent  Pennsylvanians,  but  not  a  sound  from  them.  Still 
nearer  the  rebel  line  approached,  to  within  a  distance  of 
ten  feet,  when  the  sharp  command  rang  out,  "  Fire ;"  and 
rising  the  Pennsylvanians  delivered  a  withering  fire  into 
the  rebel  ranks  that  sent  them  reeling  back  into  the  dark 
ness  from  whence  they  came ;  but  a  line  of  prostrate  forms 
where  the  fire  from  our  line  had  met  the  advancing  col 
umn,  told  of  its  terrible  execution.  Twenty  minutes  after 
this  repulse  they  advanced  silently  but  in  stronger  force, 
directly  in  front  of  our  breastworks.  They  advanced 
slowly  and  in  silence  until  within  a  few  feet  of  the  Union 
line,  when  with  wild  yells  they  leaped  forward,  some  even 
mounting  the  breastworks.  But  a  sheet  of  flame  instantly 
flashed  along  the  whole  line  of  our  works ;  the  astonished 
rebels  wavered  for  a  moment  and  then  beat  a  hasty  retreat, 
relinquishing  with  this  last  desperate  effort  the  attempt  to 
drive  back  the  old  Sixth  corps. 

Scarcely  a  man  of  the  Union  force  was  injured  by 
this  charge,  but  the  dead  and  w^ounded  from  the  rebel 
ranks  literally  covered  the  ground.  There  was  no  help  for 


A    QUIET   DAY.  319 

them.  Our  men  were  unable  even  to  take  care  of  their 
own  wounded  which  lay  scattered  through  the  woods  in 
the  rear.  So  the  rebel  wounded  lay  between  the  two 
armies,  making  the  night  hideous  with  their  groans. 

The  battle  of  the  6th  was  now  at  an  end,  neither  party 
having  gained  any  decided  advantage. 

At  midnight  the  Sixth  corps  fell  back  upon  the  plank 
road  to  the  vicinity  of  the  old  gold  mine  mill,  where  our 
hospitals  had  been.  Intrenchments  were  thrown  up  and  the 
position  was  held  without  much  annoyance  from  the  rebels 
all  the  next  day.  The  whole  line  of  the  army  remained 
quiet  on  the  7th,  only  a  few  skirmishes  along  different  parts 
of  the  line,  relieving  the  monotony  of  the  day. 

The  two  days  of  fighting  had  told  fearfully  upon  out 
ranks.  Our  regiments  which  a  few  hours  before  were 
well  filled,  were  now  but  fragments  of  regiments ;  and  our 
hearts  were  weighed  down  with  heavy  grief  when  we 
thought  of  the  many  grand  spirits  who  had  left  us  forever 
since  we  crossed  the  Rapidan. 

We  thought  of  the  young  colonel  of  the  Forty-third, 
Wilson,  beloved  and  admired  throughout  the  corps.  His 
death  was  a  heavy  blow  to  us  all.  We  should  miss  his 
soldierly  presence  on  the  parade ;  his  winning  pleasantry  in 
our  social  circles ;  we  were  no  longer  to  enjoy  his  beautiful 
example  of  unswerving  Christian  morality.  His  manly 
form  was  no  longer  to  be  our  pride,  and  his  heroic  valor 
would  never  again  be  manifest  on  the  field  of  battle. 

Major  Fryer  had  received  his  mortal  hurt.  Fryer  was 
young  and  gallant ;  his  handsome  form  and  brilliant  eye 
were  in  fine  harmony  with  those  of  his  friend  and  superior. 
"  In  their  lives  they  were  beautiful,  and  in  their  death  they 
were  not  divided." 

Captain  Hickmot,  too,  of  the  Forty-ninth  was  among 
the  slain.  Surely  death  loves  a  shining  mark,  and  with 
what  terrible  precision  had  he  chosen  his  victims.  Hick- 


320  OUR   LOST   COMRADES. 

mot's  bright  eye  was  glazed  in  death.  His  gayety  was 
hushed  forever.  We  remembered  now  his  hearty  laugh, 
his  friendly  words  and  his  purity  of  character,  and  knew 
that  they  were  ours  only  in  memory. 

Wallace  of  the  Forty-third  and  Terry  of  the  Forty- 
ninth,  too,  were  gone.  Colonel  Ryerson,  the  gallant  com 
mander  of  the  Tenth  New  Jersey,  was  mortally  wounded. 

In  the  Seventy-seventh  we  had  lost  Craig ;  a  youth  of 
rare  qualities  and  of  stern  patriotism. 

The  Vermont  brigade  had  lost  many  of  its  brightest 
ornaments.  Colonel  Barney  of  the  Sixth  was  one  of  Ver 
mont's  best  men.  A  kind  yet  faithful  commander  in  camp, 
gallant  and  fearless  on  the  field.  He  was  the  highest  type 
of  a  man  ;  a  Christian  gentleman.  Colonel  Stone  had  been 
killed  instantly  on  the  5th.  His  urbane  manners  were 
remembered  by  all  who  frequented  our  division  head-quar 
ters,  and  his  bravery  had  endeared  him  to  his  men. 
Colonel  Tyler,  too,  of  the  Second  was  among  the  mor 
tally  wounded,  and  all  felt  his  loss  deeply. 

Captains  Bixby,  of  the  Second,  Bartlett  and  Buck,  of 
the  Third,  Carpenter  and  Farr,  of  the  Fourth,  Ormsbee 
and  Hhrlburt,  of  the  Fifth,  and  Bird  and  Randall,  of  the 
Sixth  —  all  men  of  bravery  and  patriotism,  all  beloved  as 
companions  and  valued  as  officers  —  were  among  the  dead 
or  dying.  But  among  Vermont's  fallen  sons  was  no  more 
ardent  patriot  or  gallant  soldier  than  Captain  George  D. 
Davenport,  of  the  Fifth.  His  manly  bearing,  his  brilliant 
intellect,  his  ready  wit,  his  social  virtues  and  his  well 
known  bravery,  combined  to  render  him  a  favorite  officer 
in  his  brigade,  while  to  those  who  were  bound  to  him  by 
the  ties  of  fellowship,  his  disinterested  love  and  noble 
generosity  rendered  his  friendship  of  inestimable  value. 

These  were  a  few  among  the  many  noble  names  of  fallen 
heroes.  Never  were  grander  men  sacrificed  for  a  noble 
cause  than  they. 


WOUNDED    OFFICERS.  321 

General  Getty  and  General  Morris  and  Colonel  Keiffer 
were  among  the  wounded,  and  we  had  lost  General  Shaler 
and  General  Seymour,  captured  by  the  enemy. 

General  Neill  succeeded  to  the  command  of  the  Second 
division,  and  Colonel  Bidwell  assumed  the  command 
vacated  by  General  Neill. 

41 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

SPOTTSYLVANIA. 

Moving  by  the  flank  —  The  wounded  abandoned—  The  Fifth  Corps  at  Spottsylvania 
—Arrival  of  the  Sixth  Corps  —  Getting  into  line  — Death  of  Sedgwick  —  General 
Wright  in  command— Battle  of  the  10th  of  May  — Upton's  splendid  charge  — 
Battle  at "  the  angle  "  —  Another  flank  movement. 

BY  this  time  General  Grant,  finding  the  rebel  position 
too  strong  to  force  in  front,  and  finding,  by  reconnoissance, 
that  the  enemy  had  fallen  back  to  strong  works  where  he 
awaited  attack,  determined  to  throw  the  army  between 
Lee's  army  and  Richmond,  and  accordingly  ordered  the 
first  of  that  wonderful  series  of  flank  movements  that  have 
become  the  admiration  of  the  world.  The  Fifth  and  Sixth 
corps  withdrew  with  secrecy  from  the  line  held  by  them, 
and  falling  into  the  rear  of  the  rest  of  the  army,  marched 
rapidly  from  the  right  to  the  left  flank  toward  Spottsyl 
vania.  The  Sixth  corps,  taking  the  Chancellorsville  road, 
reached  the  old  battle-field  at  daylight,  and  halted  for 
breakfast  near  the  ruins  of  the  historic  Chancellor  House. 
The  Fifth  corps  taking  a  more  direct  road  to  Spottsylvania, 
and  being  unencumbered  with  the  train,  marched  rapidly 
and  reached  Piney  Branch  Church,  a  little  hamlet  in  the 
midst  of  the  woods,  about  five  miles  north  of  Spottsyl 
vania  Court  House,  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning.  These 
two  corps  were  quickly  followed  by  the  Ninth  and  Second 
corps,  leaving  the  old  wilderness  field  entirely  in  the  hands 
of  the  enemy. 

Another  of  those  distressful  necessities  of  war  occurred 
on  withdrawing  from  the  Wilderness.  Wounded  men  of 
the  Fifth  and  Sixth  corps  had  already  been  left  on  the  site 


ABANDONED  TO  THE  ENEMY.  323 

of  the  hospitals  near  the  old  gold  mine  mills,  and  now  hun 
dreds  more  from  every  corps  were  abandoned  for  want  of 
sufficient  transportation.  Let  it  not  be  thought  that  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  was  deficient  in  ambulances.  Our 
hospital  train  was  immense,  yet  insufficient  for  such  an 
emergency  as  the  present.  To  have  provided  a  train  suffi 
cient  for  such  a  time,  would  have  been  to  incumber  the 
army  with  an  enormous  establishment,  which  would  so 
interfere  with  its  movements  as  to  defeat  the  very  object 
in  view.  The  present  was  one  of  those  terrible  but 
unavoidable  contingencies  which  must  sometimes  occur 
in  war. 

Trains  had  returned  and  brought  away  some  of  the 
wounded  left  at  the  old  gold  mine,  but  many  were  still 
there ;  and  now,  again,  as  we  loaded  ambulances  and  army 
wagons  to  their  utmost  capacity,  making  a  train  of  many 
miles  in  extent,  some  two  hundred  of  the  wounded  of  our 
Sixth  corps  were  left  upon  the  ground.  It  was,  indeed,  a 
sickening  thought  that  these  noble  fellows,  who  had  nobly 
fallen  in  their  country's  cause,  must  be  abandoned  to  the 
enemy,  many  of  them,  perhaps  the  majority  of  them,  to 
die  in  their  hands.  All  communication  with  their  friends 
at  home  hopelessly  cut  oft',  and  with  no  expectation  of  any 
but  the  roughest  treatment  from  their  enemies,  it  was  a  sad 
prospect  for  the  unfortunate  ones.  Medical  officers  from 
each  corps  were  directed  to  remain  and  care  for  those  thus 
left  behind,  and  a  limited  supply  of  rations  and  medicines 
were  also  left.  Surgeon  Phillips,  of  the  Third  Vermont, 
and  Assistant  Surgeon  Thompson,  of  the  Seventy-seventh 
New  York,  were  the  detail  to  remain  behind  from  the 
Second  division.  They  stayed  with  our  wounded  among 
the  rebels  for  several  weeks,  faithfully  ministering  to  their 
wants,  until  nearly  all  had  been  removed  to  Richmond, 
when,  one  day,  learning  that  those  remaining  were  to  be 
sent  south  on  the  following  day,  they  made  their  escape  by 


324  FIFTH    CORPS   AT   SPOTTSYLVANIA. 

night.  By  traveling  throughout  the  night  and  hiding  in 
the  woods  by  day,  they  made  their  way  across  the  Rapidan, 
and  finally  reached  Washington  in  safety. 

The  Fifth  corps,  having  taken  the  most  direct  road  to 
Spottsylvania,  arrived  at  Piney  Branch  Church  at  nine 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  8th,  where  the  infantry  skir 
mishers  of  the  enemy  were  encountered.  Gregg's  division 
of  cavalry  had  been  for  some  time  engaged  with  the  rebel 
cavalry ;  but  the  cavalry  had  not  discovered  the  infantry 
of  the  enemy  before  the  approach  of  the  Fifth  corps.  Two 
divisions  of  the  Fifth  corps  were  at  once  formed  in  line  of 
battle,  Bartlett's  brigade  of  Griffin's  division  being  sent 
ahead  as  skirmishers.  As  the  corps  advanced,  the  skir 
mishers  of  the  enemy  steadily  withdrew,  until  they  reached 
a  large  clearing,  called  Alsop's  Farm,  along  the  rear  of 
which  ran  a  small  stream,  the  river  Ny,  about  three  miles 
north  of  Spottsylvania.  Here  the  enemy  was  formed  in 
force,  with  a  line  of  strong  earthworks.  An  attack  was 
ordered,  and  bravely  Warren's  men  advanced  against 
the  breastworks  of  the  enemy ;  but  their  efforts  to  drive  the 
rebels  were  unavailing.  The  field  was  composed  of  a  suc 
cession  of  ridges,  dotted  here  and  there  with  clumps  of 
pines  and  oaks,  while  the  country  in  rear,  through  which 
the  corps  had  already  pressed  the  opposing  skirmishers, 
was  a  wilderness  of  trees.  The  rebels  had  their  artillery 
well  posted,  and  they  hurled  a  fierce  storm  of  shells  among 
the  advancing  lines,  arresting  their  advance.  The  enemy 
in  turn  charged  upon  the  Fifth  corps,  but  the  Union  boys 
fought  with  desperation,  repelling  every  charge  and  hold 
ing  their  ground.  Our  troops  behaved  magnificently,  yet 
they  were  unable  to  push  their  advance  further. 

It  was  now  evident  that  Lee,  anticipating  Grant's 
strategy,  had  set  about  thwarting  it.  As  soon  as  our 
troops  were  withdrawn  from  Wilderness  Run,  Lee  had 
hastened  Ewell's  corps  and  a  part  of  Longstreet's  on  an 


SIXTH   COEPS   AKRIVES.  325 

inner  road  to  Spottsylvania,  and  these  troops  now  con 
fronted  us  and  disputed  our  advance. 

Such  was  the  situation  when  the  Sixth  corps  arrived  on 
the  field  at  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  The  day  had 
been  the  most  sultry  of  the  season,  and  many  of  the  men, 
overcome  by  the  intensity  of  the  heat,  and  exhausted  by 
the  constant  fighting  and  marching  since  the  morning 
of  the  4th,  had  fallen  by  the  wayside.  The  corps  halted 
for  about  two  hours,  and  was  then  ordered  to  the  front  to 
the  assistance  of  Warren's  corps,  which  was  again  hotly 
engaged  with  the  enemy.  We  pressed  forward  along  a 
narrow  road  leading  through  a  thick  growth  of  timber, 
until  we  came  where  the  Fifth  corps  was  contending  the 
ground.  The  corps  was  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle,  but 
did  not  at  once  commence  an  attack. 

Before  us  the  ground  was  rolling  and  partially  wooded, 
admirably  adapted  for  defensive  warfare.  A  wooded 
ravine,  at  a  little  distance  from  our  front,  concealed  a 
rebel  line  of  battle,  and  in  our  rear,  were  dense  woods 
extending  to  the  road  along  which  our  line  was  formed. 
These  woods  were  on  fire,  and  the  hot  blasts  of  air  which 
swept  over  us,  together  with  the  burning  heat  of  the  sun, 
rendered  our  position  a  very  uncomfortable  one.  Before 
long,  however,  the  corps  was  ordered  to  the  left,  and  took 
its  position  in  the  woods  on  the  left  of  Warren's  corps. 
Our  Second  division  was  formed  in  three  lines  with  the 
view  of  attacking  the  enemy. 

Soon  after  dark  all  things  being  ready,  the  division 
moved  forward  to  the  attack,  but  after  some  desperate 
fighting  on  the  part  of  both  the  Fifth  corps  and  our  own 
division,  finding  the  enemy  too  strongly  posted,  the  attack 
was  relinquished. 

Toward  midnight  some  changes  of  position  were  ordered, 
but,  in  the  darkness,  regiments  lost  their  brigades,  and  wan- 


326  DEATH    OF    SEDGWICK. 

dered  about  in  the  woods  until  daylight,  some  narrowly 
escaping  capture  within  the  lines  of  the  enemy. 

There  was  little  hard  fighting  on  Monday  the  9th, 
though  skirmishing  was  briskly  kept  up  along  the  whole 
line  throughout  the  day.  Our  line  of  battle  was  now 
extended  from  northwest  to  southeast  with  Hancock's 
Second  corps  on  the  right,  Warren's  Fifth  corps  on  the 
right  center,  Sedgwick's  Sixth  corps  on  the  left  center,  and 
Burnside's  Ninth  corps  on  the  extreme  left.  Our  Second 
division  was  formed  in  a  clearing  on  the  side  of  a  hill 
which  sloped  gradually  until  it  reached  a  swamp,  which, 
however,  turned  and  passed  through  our  line  at  our  left. 
About  three  hundred  yards  in  front  of  us  was  a  strip  of 
woods  one-fourth  of  a  mile  wide,  and  beyond  the  woods 
an  open  field  where  the  rebel  forces  were  posted  behind 
formidable  earthworks.  Just  in  our  rear  and  on  the  crest 
of  the  hill,  our  batteries  were  posted  so  as  to  fire  over  our 
heads.  On  our  right  was  a  dense  forest  where  the  Fifth 
corps  were  posted,  and  on  our  left  Burnside's  troops  occu 
pied  a  more  open  country. 

The  whole  line  of  the  army  was  strengthened  with 
breastworks  of  rails  and  logs,  which  the  men  procured  in 
many  cases  from  almost  under  the  rebel  guns,  while  the 
heavy  mist  of  the  morning  concealed  them  from  the  view 
of  their  enemies.  Over  the  logs  and  rails  earth  was  thrown 
in  quantity  sufficient  to  protect  the  men  from  the  shot  and 
shell  of  the  enemy. 

Although  there  was  little  fighting  on  the  9th,  it  was  a 
sad  day  for  the  Sixth  corps  and  for  the  army ;  for  on  that 
day  our  corps  lost  its  beloved  commander,  and  the  army  a 
a  most  distinguished  soldier. 

General  Sedgwick,  while  standing  behind  an  outer  line 
of  works,  personally  superintending  and  directing,  as  was 
his  custom,  the  posting  of  a  battery  of  artillery  at  an 
angle  which  he  regarded  as  of  great  importance,  was  shot 


GENEKAL  JOHN   SEDGWICK.  327 

through  the  head  by  a  rebel  sharpshooter,  and  died 
instantly.  The  ball  had  entered  his  head  just  below  the 
left  eye,  and  passed  out  at  the  back  of  the  head. 

Never  had  such  a  gloom  rested  upon  the  whole  army  on 
account  of  the  death  of  one  man  as  came  over  it  when  the 
heavy  tidings  passed  along  the  lines  that  General  Sedg- 
wick  was  killed. 

Major-General  John  Sedgwick,  who  had  so  long  been 
identified  with  the  Sixth  corps,  was  a  native  of  Connecti 
cut.  He  graduated  at  West  Point  on  the  30th  of  June, 
1837,  and  was  at  once  assigned  to  the  Second  artillery, 
as  second-lieutenant.  In  1839,  he  was  promoted  to  first- 
lieutenant.  He  served  in  Mexico,  and  was  brevetted  cap 
tain  for  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct,  in  the  battles 
of  Contreras  and  Cherubusco.  He  was  soon  afterward 
brevetted  major  for  gallant  conduct,  and  greatly  distin 
guished  himself  in  the  attack  on  Cosino  gate,  Mexico  city. 
In  1845  he  was  made  major  of  the  First  United  States 
Cavalry,  and  served  in  Texas  until  the  breaking  out  of  the 
rebellion.  In  March,  1861,  he  was  commissioned  lieuten 
ant-colonel,  Second  United  States  Cavalry ;  and  in  April 
promoted  to  the  colonelcy  of  the  Fourth  Cavalry.  He 
was  made  a  brigadier-general  of  volunteers  in  August, 
1861,  and  assigned  to  the  command  of  a  brigade  in  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac. 

He  was  afterward  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Third 
division,  Second  corps,  then  under  General  Sumner.  He 
participated  in  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  and  greatly  dis 
tinguished  himself  in  many  battles  on  the  Peninsula.  He 
was  particularly  noted  at  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  Savage's 
Station,  and  Glendale.  His  division  was  one  of  the  few 
divisions  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  that  rendered  any 
assistance  to  General  Pope  in  his  unfortunate  campaign. 

At  Antietam  he  led  his  men  repeatedly  against  the 
rebels,  and  was  as  often  forced  back,  until  the  ground  over 


328  GENERAL    JOHN  SEDGWICK. 

which  his  division  had  fought  was  covered  with  dead.  He 
was  thrice  wounded,  but  refused  to  be  carried  from  the 
field  until  faintness  from  loss  of  blood  obliged  him  to 
relinquish  his  command. 

In  December,  1862,  he  was  nominated  by  the  President 
a  major-general  of  volunteers,  and  was  confirmed  in  March, 
1863,  with  rank  from  the  31st  of  May,  1862. 

In  January  following  his  promotion,  he  was  assigned  to 
the  command  of  the  Ninth  corps,  and,  on  the  5th  of  Feb 
ruary,  was  transferred  to  the  command  of  the  Sixth  corps, 
relieving  General  Smith,  who  was  assigned  to  the  Ninth 
corps. 

Soon  after  taking  command  of  our  corps,  the  famous 
charge  upon  Fredericksburgh  Heights  was  made,  in  which 
both  the  corps  and  its  commander  acquired  lasting  renown. 
General  Sedgwick  was  especially  commended  by  General 
Meade  for  the  manner  in  which  he  handled  his  corps  at 
Rappahannock  Station,  and,  in  General  Meade's  absence, 
he  was  several  times  in  command  of  the  army.  He  was, 
on  several  occasions,  offered  the  supreme  command  of  the 
army,  but  his  excessive  modesty  forbade  him  to  accept  so 
important  a  command. 

No  soldier  was  more  beloved  by  the  army  or  honored 
by  the  country  than  this  noble  general.  His  corps 
regarded  him  as  a  father,  and  his  great  military  abilities 
made  his  judgment,  in  all  critical  emergencies,  sought 
after  by  his  superior  as  well  as  his  fellows.  The  com 
mand  of  the  Sixth  corps  now  devolved  upon  General 
"Wright,  who  had  long  been  well  known  in  the  corps  as 
the  commander  of  our  First  division,  and  who  held  the 
command  of  the  corps  from  this  time  until  it  was  dis 
banded  in  the  autumn  of  1865. 

Monday  night  passed  quietly.  An  occasional  volley  on 
the  picket  line  would  rouse  us  to  arms,  but  there  was  no 
general  assault,  and  the  tired  soldiers  would  throw  them- 


BATTLE    OF    MAY   TENTH.  329 

selves  again  upon  the  ground  to  catch  a  few  moments 
more  of  rest. 

Our  position  on  Tuesday  morning,  May  10th,  was  the 
same  as  it  had  been  the  day  previous.  During  the  lull  of 
battle  on  the  9th,  both  armies  had  gathered  their  strength 
and  perfected  their  plans  for  a  renewal  of  the  contest,  on 
a  scale  of  magnificence  seldom  if  ever  witnessed  by  any 
army  before.  This  was  destined  to  be  a  day  of  most  fear 
ful  carnage,  and  desperate  attempts  on  the  part  of  each 
antagonist  to  crush  the  other  by  the  weight  of  its  terrible 
charges. 

Active  skirmishing  commenced  along  different  portions  of 
the  line  early  in  the  morning,  and  continued  to  grow  more 
and  more  general  until  the  rattle  of  the  skirmishers'  rifles 
grew  into  the  reverberating  roll  of  battle.  From  one  end 
of  the  long  line  to  the  other  the  tide  of  battle  surged,  the 
musketry  continually  increasing  in  volume,  until  it  seemed 
one  continuous  peal  of  thunder.  During  all  the  battles  in 
the  Wilderness,  artillery  had  been  useless,  except  when 
here  and  there  a  section  could  be  brought  in  to  command 
the  roadway ;  but  now  all  the  artillery  on  both  sides  was 
brought  into  the  work.  It  was  the  terrible  cannonading 
of  Malvern  Hill  with  the  fierce  musketry  of  Games'  Mills 
combined,  that  seemed  fairly  to  shake  the  earth  and  skies. 
Never  during  the  war  had  the  two  armies  made  such 
gigantic  struggles  for  the  destruction  of  each  other. 

At  first  the  heavy  assaults  were  made  against  the  right 
wing — Hancock's  and  Warren's  corps  sustaining  the  prin 
cipal  shock  of  the  enemy's  repeated  charges.  Massing 
their  forces  against  particular  points  of  the  line  held  by 
these  two  corps,  the  rebel  generals  would  hurl  their  gray 
legions  like  an  avalanche  against  our  breastworks,  hoping 
by  the  very  momentum  of  the  charge  to  break  through  our 
lines ;  but  a  most  withering  storm  of  leaden  and  iron  hail 
would  set  the  mass  wavering,  and  finally  send  it  back  to 
42 


330  CHAEGE    OP   THE   TWELVE   EEGIMENTS. 

the  cover  of  the  woods  and  earthworks  in  confusion,  leav 
ing  the  ground  covered  at  each  time  with  an  additional 
layer  of  their  dead.  In  turn,  the  men  of  the  Fifth  and 
Second  corps  would  charge  upon  their  adversaries,  and  in 
turn  they  too  would  be  forced  to  seek  shelter  behind  their 
rifle  pits.  Thus  the  tide  of  battle  along  the  right  of  the 
line  rolled  to  and  fro,  while  the  horrid  din  of  musketry 
and  artillery  rose  and  swelled  as  the  storm  grew  fiercer. 

Meanwhile  the  Sixth  and  Ninth  corps  were  quietly 
awaiting  events,  and  it  was  not  until  six  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  that  the  Sixth  corps  was  called  into  action. 
Then  it  was  to  make  one  of  the  most  notable  charges  on 
record. 

At  five  o'clock  the  men  of  the  corps  were  ordered  to 
unsling  knapsacks  and  divest  themselves  of  every  incum- 
brance  preparatory  to  a  charge.  Colonel  Upton  command 
ing  the  Second  brigade  of  the  First  division,  was  directed 
to  take  twelve  picked  regiments  from  the  corps  and  lead 
them  in  a  charge  against  the  right  center  of  the  rebel  line. 
The  regiments  which  shared  the  dearly  purchased  honor 
of  this  magnificent  charge  were,  in  the  first  line,  the  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-first  New  York,  the  Fifth  Maine,  the 
Ninety-sixth  and  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Pennsyl 
vania  ;  in  the  second  line  the  Seventy-seventh  and  Forty- 
third  New  York,  the  Fifth  Wisconsin,  Sixth  Maine  and 
Forty-ninth  Pennsylvania ;  and  in  the  third  line,  the  Sec 
ond,  Fifth  and  Sixth  Vermont.  It  was  indeed  an  honor  to 
be  selected  for  this  duty,  but  it  was  an  honor  to  be  paid 
for  at  the  cost  of  fearful  peril. 

The  twelve  regiments  assembled  on  the  open  space  in 
front  of  our  works,  then  silently  entered  the  strip  of 
woods  which  was  between  our  line  and  that  of  the  rebels. 
Passing  through  to  the  further  edge  of  the  woods,  the 
twelve  regiments  were  formed  in  columns  of  three  lines, 
each  line  consisting  of  four  regiments. 


GENERAL  UPTON  LEADS  THE  CHARGE.        331 

The  regiments  of  the  Second  division,  not  included  in 
the  charging  column,  formed  in  the  rear,  to  act  as  support, 
but  did  not  advance  to  the  charge. 

As  the  regiments  took  their  places,  they  threw  them 
selves  upon  the  ground,  and  all  orders  were  given  in 
suppressed  tones,  for  the  rebels  were  but  a  hundred  yards 
distant,  in  the  open  field,  and  the  minies  of  their  skir 
mishers  were  whistling  among  the  trees  and  brushwood. 

The  other  corps  of  the  army  were  prepared,  in  case  this 
charging  party  succeeded  in  breaking  the  enemy's  line,  to 
rush  in  and  turn  the  success  into  a  rout  of  the  rebels. 
Generals  Meade,  Hancock,  Warren  and  Burnside  stationed 
themselves  on  eminences,  from  which  they  could  watch 
the  success  of  the  perilous  enterprise. 

At  six  o'clock  all  things  were  ready,  and  the  artillery 
from  the  eminences  in  our  rear  opened  a  terrific  fire,  send 
ing  the  shells  howling  and  shrieking  over  the  heads  of 
the  charging  column,  and  plunging  into  the  works  of  the 
enemy.  This  was  the  signal  for  the  attack,  and  Colonel 
Upton's  clear  voice  rang  out,  "Attention,  battalions! 
Forward,  double-quick!  CHARGE!"  and  in  an  instant 
every  man  was  on  his  feet,  and,  with  tremendous  cheers, 
which  were  answered  by  the  wild  yells  of  the  rebels,  the 
column  rushed  from  the  cover  of  the  woods.  Quick  as 
lightning,  a  sheet  of  flame  burst  from  the  rebel  line,  and 
the  leaden  hail  swept  the  ground  over  which  the  column 
was  advancing,  while  the  canister  from  the  artillery  came 
crashing  through  our  ranks  at  every  step,  and  scores  and 
hundreds  of  our  brave  fellows  fell,  literally  covering  the 
ground.  But,  nothing  daunted,  the  noble  fellows  rushed 
upon  the  defenses,  leaping  over  the  ditch  in  front,  and 
mounting  the  breastworks.  The  rebels  made  a  determined 
resistance,  and  a  hand  to  hand  fight  ensued,  until,  with 
their  bayonets,  our  men  had  filled  the  rifle  pits  with  bleed 
ing  rebels.  About  two  thousand  of  the  survivors  of  the 


332  THE   COLUMN   RETIRES. 

struggle  surrendered,  and  were  immediately  marched  to 
the  rear,  under  guard. 

Without  halting  for  breath,  the  impetuous  column  rushed 
toward  the  second  line  of  works,  which  was  equally  as 
strong  as  the  first.  The  resistance  here  was  less  stubborn 
than  at  the  first  line,  yet  the  gray  occupants  of  the  rifle  pits 
refused  to  fly,  until  forced  back  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet. 

Our  ranks  were  now  fearfully  thinned,  yet  the  brave 
fellows  passed  on  to  the  third  line  of  defenses  which  was 
also  captured. 

It  was  but  a  shattered  remnant  of  that  noble  column 
that  rushed  from  the  woods  against  the  hostile  works,  that 
reached  this  advanced  point,  and  now,  finding  that  reen- 
forcements  were  reaching  the  enemy,  while  our  column 
was  every  moment  melting  away,  a  retreat  was  ordered. 

There  was  not  even  time  to  bring  away  the  six  pieces 
of  artillery  which  we  had  captured ;  they  were  filled  with 
sods  and  abandoned. 

What  remained  of  the  twelve  regiments  retreated  to 
the  cover  of  our  rifle  pits,  leaving  the  dead  and  most 
of  the  wounded  in  the  enemy's  hands. 

The  corps  lost,  in  this  charge,  some  of  its  ablest  men. 
In  the  First  brigade  of  the  Second  division  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Hamilton,  of  the  Sixty-second  New  York,  was 
killed.  Captain  Carpenter,  of  the  Seventy-seventh,  one  of 
its  first  and  best  officers,  and  Lieutenant  Lyon,  a  young 
officer  of  great  bravery,  were  killed  in  the  interior  line  of 
works,  and  many  other  noble  fellows  of  that  regiment 
were  left  on  that  fatal  field.  The  regiment  crossed  the 
Rapidan  six  days  before  with  over  five  hundred  men,  and 
now,  after  this  charge,  less  than  ninety  men  were  left, 
and  this  is  but  an  example  of  the  losses  to  most  of  the 
regiments  in  that  division. 

The  noise  of  the  battle  gradually  died  away  as  night 
threw  her  mantle  over  the  fearful  scene  of  carnage,  and 


PREPARATIONS   FOR   AN   ATTACK.  333 

both  armies  were  glad  of  a  respite  from  their  severe 
labors. 

The  llth  of  May  passed  in  making  new  arrangements 
and  in  sending  the  thousands  of  wounded  to  Fredricks- 
burgh.  Immense  trains  of  ambulances  and  army  wagons 
freighted  with  the  mangled  forms  of  wounded  men  were 
running  day  and  night  to  Fredricksburgh,  and  returning 
with  supplies. 

Skirmishing  was  kept  up  along  the  line,  but  no  general 
engagement  was  brought  on.  During  the  night  the  Second 
corps,  General  Hancock,  silently  withdrew  from  the  posi 
tion  it  had  occupied  on  the  right  of  the  line,  and  marching 
along  in  the  rear  of  the  army  occupied  a  position  between 
the  Sixth  and  Ninth  corps,  which  was  not  before  occupied. 
With  great  caution  and  silence  preparations  were  made 
for  a  desperate  attack  upon  that  part  of  the  enemy's  line 
fronting  this  position.  This  line  made  here  a  sharp  angle 
and  by  seizing  this  angle,  it  was  hoped  to  turn  the  right 
flank  of  Lee's  army.  Between  the  position  of  the  Second 
corps  and  the  rebel  works,  the  ground  was  covered  with 
pines  and  underbrush,  and  as  it  neared  the  defenses 
ascended  abruptly  to  a  considerable  height. 

As  soon  as  the  gray  light  of  the  morning  began  to 
streak  through  the  mists,  all  was  in  readiness  for  the 
charge,  and  with  strictest  orders  of  silence  the  corps  in 
mass  advanced  rapidly  across  the  field,  the  thick  fog  con 
cealing  the  movement.  As  the  column  neared  the  rifle 
pits  a  storm  of  bullets  met  it;  but  charging  impetuously  up 
the  hill  and  over  the  works,  the  rebels,  surprised  and  over 
powered,  gave  way;  those  who  could  escaping  to  the 
second  line  in  the  rear,  though  thousands  were  obliged  to 
surrender  on  the  spot,  so  complete  had  been  the  surprise. 
The  victorious  column  now  pushed  on  toward  the  second 
line  of  works,  but  here,  the  enemy  by  this  time  fully  pre 
pared  for  the  attack,  the  resistance  became  more  stubborn. 


334  THE   ANGLE. 

The  battle  now  raged  with  greatest  fury.  The  Sixth 
corps  was  withdrawn  from  its  position,  leaving  a  strong 
picket  line  to  guard  its  front,  and  marching  along  the 
rear  of  its  works  joined  in  the  attack  with  the  Second 
corps.  The  works  taken  by  Hancock's  corps,  were  occu 
pied  by  the  men  of  the  Sixth  corps,  and  the  enemy 
commenced  the  most  desperate  efforts  to  retake  them. 
Forming  their  troops  in  heavy  columns  they  hurled 
them  against  our  line  with  tremendous  force.  Russell's 
division  held  the  center  of  the  line  of  the  corps  at  a  point 
known  as  "  the  angle."  This  was  the  key  to  the  whole 
position.  Our  forces  held  the  rebel  works  from  the  left  as 
far  as  this  "  angle,"  and  the  rebels  still  held  the  rest  of 
the  line.  Whoever  could  hold  "  the  angle  "  would  be  the 
victors;  for  with  the  angle,  either  party  could  possess 
themselves  of  the  whole  line  of  works.  Hence  the 
desperate  efforts  to  drive  us  from  this  position.  The 
First  division  being  unable  to  maintain  the  position  alone, 
the  Second  division  was  sent  to  its  aid.  And  now,  as  the 
boys  of  the  Second  division  took  their  places  in  the  front, 
the  battle  became  a  hand  to  hand  combat.  A  breastwork 
of  logs  separated  the  combatants.  Our  men  would  reach 
over  this  partition  and  discharge  their  muskets  in  the  face 
of  the  enemy,  and  in  return  would  receive  the  fire  of  the 
rebels  at  the  same  close  range.  Finally,  the  men  began 
to  use  their  muskets  as  clubs  and  then  rails  were  used. 
The  men  were  willing  thus  to  fight  from  behind  the 
breastworks,  but  to  rise  up  and  attempt  a  charge  in 
the  face  of  an  enemy  so  near  at  hand  and  so  strong  in  num 
bers  required  unusual  bravery.  Yet  they  did  charge  and 
they  drove  the  rebels  back  and  held  the  angle  themselves. 
It  was  in  one  of  these  charges  that  the  gallant  Major  Ellis 
of  the  Forty-ninth  New  York,  was  shot  with  a  ramrod 
through  the  arm  and  in  the  side,  from  the  effects  of  which 
he  afterwards  died.  The  trees  in  front  of  the  position 


TKEES   CUT   DOWN   BY   BULLETS.  835 

held  by  the  Sixth  corps  during  this  remarkable  struggle, 
were  literally  cut  to  pieces  by  bullets.  Even  trees  more 
than  a  foot  in  diameter,  were  cut  off  by  the  constant  action 
of  bullets.  A  section  of  one  of  these  was,  and  doubtless 
still  is,  in  Washington,  with  a  card  attached  stating  that 
the  tree  was  cut  down  in  front  of  the  position  of  the 
Second  corps.  Our  gallant  brothers  of  that  corps  won 
undying  honors  on  that  glorious  day,  but  it  was  the  long- 
continued,  fearful  musketry  battle  between  the  Sixth  corps 
and  the  enemy  which  cut  down  those  trees.  We  have  no 
desire  to  detract  from  the  well-deserved  honors  of  the 
brave  men  of  the  Second  corps,  but  this  is  a  simple  matter 
of  justice.  The  conflict  became  more  and  more  bloody, 
and  soon  the  Fifth  corps  was  also  engaged,  and  at  ten 
o'clock  the  battle  rolled  along  the  whole  line.  The  ter 
rible  fighting  continued  till  eleven  o'clock,  when  there 
was  a  lull  in  the  musketry,  but  the  artillery  continued 
its  work  of  destruction.  Thus  the  second  line  of  works 
was  taken,  but  not  without  fearful  loss  to  both  armies. 
Our  corps  had  fought  at  close  range  for  eight  hours. 
Behind  the  works  the  rebel  dead  were  lying  literally  piled 
one  upon  another,  and  wounded  men  were  groaning  under 
the  weight  of  bodies  of  their  dead  companions.  The  loss 
to  the  rebels  in  prisoners  and  guns  was  also  great. 

Major-General  Edward  Johnson  with  his  whole  division, 
General  Stewart,  a  brigade  from  Early's  division  and  a 
whole  regiment,  including  in  all  between  three  and  four 
thousand  prisoners  and  between  thirty  and  forty  guns, 
were  the  trophies  of  this  glorious  but  bloody  morning's 
work.  These  captures  were  nearly  all  made  by  the  Second 
corps  in  the  first  assault  in  the  morning. 

The  losses  to  the  Sixth  corps  were  great,  but  far  less  than 
on  the  12th.  The  Seventy-seventh  lost  one  of  its  finest 
officers.  Captain  O.  P.  Rugg  was  shot  in  the  breast  and 
died  while  being  carried  to  the  hospital.  The  captain  was 


336  MANEUVERING. 

a  young  man  of  great  promise,  of  genial  and  lively  temper 
ament  and  greatly  beloved  by  his  regiment.  He  had  been 
married  but  a  few  months  before  his  death,  and  had 
parted  from  his  bride  at  Elmira  just  before  the  spring  cam 
paign  opened. 

The  corps  remained  near  the  scene  of  action  during 
the  next  day.  Reconnoissances  were  made,  and  another 
attempt  was  made  on  the  14th  to  turn  the  right  flank 
of  the  enemy.  The  Sixth  corps,  at  three  o'clock  on 
the  morning  of  that  day,  moved  off  to  the  left  of  our 
line  about  two  miles  and  encamped  about  the  Anderson 
House,  but  our  pickets  soon  found  the  enemy  in  force  in 
our  front,  and  no  attempt  was  made  to  bring  on  an 
engagement.  The  time  passed  quietly  along  the  line,  only 
occasionally  the  roar  of  artillery  kept  up  something  of 
excitement  of  battle.  On  the  night  of  the  17th,  the  Sixth 
corps  moved  back  to  the  scene  of  the  battle  of  the  12th. 
At  daylight  three  corps  moved  forward  to  attack  the 
enemy's  line.  The  Second  corps  forming  the  center  of 
the  line,  the  Sixth  corps  the  right,  and  the  Ninth  corps  the 
left.  The  first  line  of  rifle  pits  were  those  which  had 
been  abandoned  by  us  on  the  12th.  These  were  filled  with 
rebel  skirmishers,  who  readily  gave  way,  leaving  the  works 
in  our  hands. 

Our  line  of  battle  advanced  till  it  confronted  the  second 
line  of  the  rebel  works.  This  was  a  strong  line  behind  a 
thick  impenetrable  abattis  and  held  by  a  powerful  force. 
The  three  corps  pressed  this  formidable  line,  and  a  sharp 
engagement  ensued,  but  without  advantage  to  our  forces, 
and  it  was  concluded  that  an  attempt  to  dislodge  the 
enemy  could  only  result  in  a  fearful  waste  of  life.  Accord 
ingly  the  troops  were  quietly  withdrawn,  though  submitted 
to  a  galling  fire,  having  lost  in  the  morning's  work  about 
eight  hundred  men. 

In  the  afternoon  the  enemy  attacked  the  Fifth  corps  on 


ANOTHER   FLANK    MOVEMENT.  337 

the  left,  but  was  driven  back.  The  same  afternoon  the 
Sixth  corps  returned  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Anderson 
House,  from  which  it  had  started  on  the  evening  previous ; 
and  orders  were  issued  to  be  ready  to  march  toward  the 
North  Anna. 

General  Grant,  deeming  it  impracticable  to  make  any 
further  attempt  to  carry  the  rebel  position  at  Spottsylvania 
by  direct  assault,  had  determined  upon  another  flank  move 
ment  ;  and  his  preparations  were  made  for  moving  around 
the  left  flank  of  the  enemy  during  the  night  of  the  19th, 
and  seizing  a  position  on  the  North  Anna.  But  late  in  the 
afternoon  of  the  19th,  E well's  rebel  corps  made  a  fierce 
assault  upon  the  right  of  our  line.  Our  forces  gave  the 
rebels  a  warm  reception,  and  forced  them  back  to  the  cover 
of  their  earthworks. 

On  the  20th,  Aaron  B.  Quincy,  a  young  soldier,  beloved 
by  all  who  knew  him,  was  shot  through  the  breast,  and 
died  in  a  few  minutes.  His  faithful  Christian  character, 
his  undoubted  bravery,  and  his  ardent  patriotism,  had 
endeared  him  to  all. 

On  the  night  of  the  21st,  the  flank  movement  was  com 
menced.  Withdrawing  in  silence,  and  first  throwing  the 
right  corps  in  rear  of  the  rest  of  the  army  and  to  its  left, 
as  at  the  Wilderness,  the  troops  marched  rapidly  all  night, 
halting  for  a  few  moments  for  breath  once  or  twice,  and 
then  pressing  forward  again.  During  the  next  forenoon  a 
halt  of  some  hours  occurred  at  Quincy  Station,  near  the 
house  where  Stonewall  Jackson  died  the  year  before.  Then 
the  march  was  renewed  and  continued  till  dark. 

The  Fifth  and  Sixth  corps  reached  the  banks  of  the 
North  Anna  on  the  evening  of  the  23d,  and  was  soon  fol 
lowed  by  the  Second  and  Ninth  corps.  Again  the  enemy, 
aware  of  our  intentions,  and  having  the  shortest  line, 
confronted  us,  and  disputed  the  crossing ;  but,  after  consid 
erable  artillery  practice,  the  Fifth  corps  succeeded  in 
43 


338  ON  THE   NORTH   ANNA. 

throwing  their  pontoon  bridges  and  obtaining  a  position 
on  the  south  bank.  The  enemy  now  attacked  the  corps 
with  great  vigor,  but  were  repulsed  with  equal  slaughter. 
The  Sixth  corps  followed  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  a  little  later  the  Second  and  Ninth  corps  also  joined 
us.  Strong  breastworks  were  thrown  up,  and  parties  were 
sent  to  the  front  to  reconnoiter  the  position. 

A  further  advance  of  a  few  miles  was  made  on  the  25th, 
but  finding  the  enemy  in  a  stronger  position  than  he  had 
occupied  either  in  the  Wilderness  or  at  Spottsylvania, 
General  Grant  determined  again  to  withdraw  and  try  his 
favorite  flank  movement.  Accordingly,  on  the  night  of 
the  26th,  the  army  was  withdrawn  to  the  north  bank  of  the 
river.  The  night  was  very  dark,  and  the  mud  deep.  Sev 
eral  days'  rain  had  rendered  the  roads,  proverbial  for  their 
mud,  almost  impassable;  but  heeding  no  difficulties,  the 
army  followed  without  hesitation  wherever  our  great 
leader  directed.  The  Sixth  corps,  with  two  divisions  of 
cavalry  under  Sheridan,  who  had  now  rejoined  the  army 
from  his  great  raid  on  which  he  had  started  from  Spottsyl 
vania,  took  the  advance.  On  Saturday,  the  28th,  the  corps 
and  the  cavalry  divisions,  after  a  good  deal  of  hard  fight 
ing,  crossed  the  Pamunkey  river,  at  Hanovertown.  The 
cavalry,  at  once  advancing  several  miles  beyond  the  river, 
encountered  a  large  force  of  rebel  cavalry,  which  was 
driven  back.  The  army  encamped  at  Hanovertown,  stretch 
ing  from  the  river  several  miles  southward. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE  HOSPITALS  AT  FREDERICKSBURGH, 

The  journey  from  the  battle-field  — Sufferings  of  the  wounded— A  surgeon's  let 
ters— Eebel  hatred  — Assistance  from  the  north  — A  father  in  search  of  his  boy— 
The  wounded  sent  to  Washington. 

LET  us  turn  now  from  the  field  of  battle  to  Fredericks- 
burgh,  that  great  depot  for  wounded  men. 

It  will  be  recollected  that,  from  Piney  Branch  church, 
the  trains,  with  the  wounded  from  the  Wilderness,  were 
sent  to  Fredericksburgh.  Over  a  rough  road,  nearly  fifteen 
miles,  these  unfortunate  men,  with  shattered  or  amputated 
limbs,  with  shots  through  the  lungs  or  head  or  abdo 
men,  suffering  the  most  excruciating  pain  from  every  jar 
or  jolt  of  the  ambulance  or  wagon,  crowded  as  closely 
as  they  could  be  packed,  were  to  be  transported.  Already 
they  had  been  carted  about  over  many  miles  of  hard  road, 
most  of  them  having  been  carried  from  the  old  gold  mine 
to  Chancellorsville,  and  now  again  loaded  and  brought  to 
Spottsylvania.  They  were  worn  out  with  fatigue  and  suf 
fering,  and  yet  there  was  much  misery  in  store  for  them. 
Slowly  the  immense  train  labored  over  the  rough  road, 
now  corduroy,  now  the  remains  of  a  worn  out  plank  road, 
and  anon  a  series  of  ruts  and  mud  holes,  until,  at  three 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  9th  of  May,  the  head  of  the 
train  arrived  in  Fredericksburgh. 

The  train  had  been  preceded  by  some  three  hundred 
men  who  were  wounded  but  able  to  walk.  Mayor  Slaugh 
ter  and  other  rebel  citizens  surrounded  these  unarmed  men, 
made  them  prisoners  and  delivered  them  to  some  rebel 
cavalry,  who  took  them  to  Richmond. 


340  AEKIYAL   OF   THE   WOUNDED. 

The  process  of  unloading  the  wounded  at  once  com 
menced  ;  all  the  churches  and  other  public  buildings  were 
first  seized  and  filled.  Negroes  who  could  be  found  in 
town  were  pressed  into  the  work,  yet,  with  all  the  help 
that  could  be  obtained,  it  was  a  slow  process.  All  night 
and  all  the  next  day  the  work  went  on.  The  churches 
were  filled  first,  then  warehouses  and  stores,  and  then 
private  houses,  until  the  town  was  literally  one  immense 
hospital. 

The  surgeons  were  too  much  engaged  in  transferring 
the  men  from  the  wagons  to  the  houses  to  find  time  that 
day  to  dress  many  wounds,  and  many  an  unfortunate 
soldier  whose  stump  of  an  arm  or  leg  had  not  been  dressed 
since  the  first  day  of  the  fighting,  became  the  victim  of 
gangrene,  which  set  in  as  the  result  of  this  unavoidable  want 
of  care.  No  sooner  were  the  men  removed  from  the  ambu 
lances  than  surgeons  and  nurses  addressed  themselves  with 
all  the  strength  that  remained  to  them  to  relieve  the 
immediate  wants  of  the  sufferers.  Never  before  had  such 
herculean  labors  been  thrown  upon  so  small  a  body  of 
men,  yet  nobly  did  they  accomplish  the  task.  All  the 
buildings  in  town  were  full  of  wounded  men,  the  walks 
were  covered  with  them,  and  long  trains  of  ambulances  were 
filling  the  streets  with  more.  Yet  to  relieve  the  wants 
of  all  these  thousands  of  suffering  men  not  more  than 
forty  surgeons  had  been  sent  from  the  field. 

It  was  one  grand  funeral ;  men  were  dropping  away  on 
every  side.  Large  numbers  of  nurses  were  detailed  as 
burial  parties,  and  these  plied  their  work  day  after  day 
with  hardly  time  for  their  needed  rest. 

Surgeons  were  completely  worn  out,  and  many  of  them 
had  to  be  sent  to  Washington,  fairly  broken  down  with 
their  labors. 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter  of  a  surgeon  at 
Fredricksburgh  to  his  wife,  written  on  the  llth,  may  con- 


A  SURGEON'S  LETTERS.  341 

vey  something  of  an  idea  of  the  experience  of  the  medical 
officers  during  those  terrible  days.  He  says :  "  We  are 
almost  worked  to  death;  my  feet  are  terribly  swollen; 
yet  we  cannot  rest  for  there  are  so  many  poor  fellows  who 
are  suffering.  All  day  yesterday  I  worked  at  the  operat 
ing  table.  That  was  the  fourth  day  that  I  had  worked  at 
those  terrible  operations  since  the  battle  commenced,  and 
I  have  also  worked  at  the  tables  two  whole  nights  and  part 
of  another.  Oh !  it  is  awful.  It  does  not  seem  as  though 
I  could  take  a  knife  in  my  hand  to-day,  yet  there  are  a 
hundred  cases  of  amputations  waiting  for  me.  Poor  fel 
lows  come  and  beg  almost  on  their  knees  for  the  first 
chance  to  have  an  arm  taken  off.  It  is  a  scene  of  horror 
such  as  I  never  saw.  God  forbid  that  I  should  ever  see 
another." 

Again,  the  same  officer  writing  a  day  or  two  later,  says, 
"  It  is  fearful.  I  see  so  many  grand  men  dropping  one 
by  one.  They  are  my  acquaintances  and  my  friends. 
They  look  to  me  for  help,  and  I  have  to  turn  away  heart 
sick  at  my  want  of  ability  to  relieve  their  sufferings.  Cap 
tain  Walker  of  the  Seventh  Maine  is  dying  to-night.  He 
is  a  noble  good  man,  and  he  looks  in  my  face  and  pleads 
for  help.  Adjutant  Hessy  and  Lieutenant  Hooper  of  the 
same  regiment  died  last  night.  All  were  my  friends,  and 
all  thought  that  I  could  save  them.  General  Sedgwick  is 
dead,  and  General  Getty  and  General  Torbert  are  my 
patients.  *  *  *  Mrs.  Lewis  has  just  come;  what  a 
blessing  her  presence  will  be  to  the  colonel,  who  bears 
the  loss  of  his  arm  so  bravely.  Colonel  Barney  of  the 
Sixth  Vermont  died  yesterday,  and  Major  Fryer  of  the 
Forty-third  is  dying.  The  major  says,  "  Doctor,  can  noth 
ing  be  done?  "  Major  Dudley  lies  in  the  room  where  I  am 
writing,  seriously  wounded.  *  *  *  I  have  to-day  sent 
sixty  officers  of  the  Sixth  corps  to  Washington.  *  *  * 
Oh!  can  I  ever  write  anything  beside  those  mournful 


342  SUPPLIES   FKOM   WASHINGTON. 

details  ?  Hundreds  of  ambulances  are  coming  into  town 
now,  and  it  is  almost  midnight.  So  they  come  every 
night." 

For  a  time  it  was  almost  impossible  to  obtain  sufficient 
supplies  either  of  food  or  dressings.  Everything  that 
could  be  spared  from  the  field  had  been  sent,  but  in  the 
field  they  were  still  fighting  terrible  battles,  and  there  was 
little  to  spare.  Food  was  obtained  in  very  limited  quan 
tities  in  town,  and  men  went  to  the  houses  of  citizens  and 
demanded  sheets,  which  were  torn  into  bandages. 

But  large  supplies  were  sent  from  Washington  by  the 
government  in  a  few  days,  so  that  all  necessary  articles 
were  furnished  in  abundance,  with  a  profusion  of  lemons, 
oranges  and  canned  fruit.  The  Sanitary  Commission  was 
also  on  hand  with  large  supplies  of  delicacies,  which  were 
joyfully  received  by  the  wounded  heroes,  who  not  only 
relished  the  luxuries,  but  remembered  that  they  were  the 
gifts  of  friends  at  home,  who  had  not  forgotten  the  soldiers. 

Many  of  the  people  of  Fredericksburgh  exhibited  the 
most  malignant  spite  against  the  "  Yankee  wounded ;"  but 
others,  while  they  claimed  no  sympathy  with  our  cause, 
showed  themselves  friends  of  humanity,  and  rendered  us  all 
the  assistance  in  their  power.  No  men,  except  negroes  and 
white  men  unfit  for  military  duty,  were  left  in  town,  but 
the  women  were  bitter  rebels.  Some  of  them  made  fierce 
opposition  to  the  use  of  their  houses  as  hospitals,  but  they 
were  occupied  notwithstanding  their  remonstrances. 

At  one  fine  mansion  a  surgeon  rang  the  door  bell,  and 
in  a  moment  saw  the  door  open  just  enough  to  show  the 
nose  and  a  pair  of  small  twinkling  eyes  of  what  was  evi 
dently  a  portly  women.  "  What  do  you  want  ?  "  snarled 
out  the  female  defender  of  the  premises.  "  We  want  to 
come  and  see  if  we  can  place  a  few  wounded  officers  in 
this  house."  "  You  can't  come  in  here !  "  shouted  the 
woman  slamming  the  door  together.  A  few  knocks 


THE    WOMEN   OF   FKEDEKICKSBUKGH.  343 

induced  her  again  to  open  the  door  two  or  three  inches. 
"  Madam,  we  must  come  in  here ;  we  shall  do  you  no 
harm."  "You  can't  come  here;  I  am  a  lone  widow." 
"  But  I  assure  you  no  harm  is  intended  you."  Again  the 
door  was  closed,  and  again  at  the  summons  was  opened. 
"  Madam,  it  will  be  much  better  for  you  to  allow  us  to 
enter  than  for  me  to  direct  these  men  to  force  the  door ; 
but  we  must  enter."  The  woman  now  threw  the  door  wide 
open  and  rushing  into  the  yard  with  as  much  alacrity  as 
her  enormous  proportions  would  admit,  threw  her  arms 
out  and  whirled  about  like  a  reversed  spinning  top  shout 
ing  for  help.  She  was  again  assured  that  no  harm  was 
intended  her,  but  that  unless  she  chose  to  show  us  the 
house  we  should  be  obliged  to  go  alone.  Concluding  that 
wisdom  was  the  better  part  of  valor,  she  proceeded  to 
show  us  the  rooms. 

At  another  mansion,  one  of  the  finest  in  Fredericks- 
burgh,  a  red-haired  woman  thrust  her  head  out  of  the  side 
window,  in  answer  to  the  ring  of  the  door  bell : 

"  What  do  you  want  here  ?  " 

"  We  wish  to  place  some  wounded  officers  in  this  house." 

"  You  can't  bring  any  officers  nor  anybody  else  to  this 
house.  I'm  all  alone.  I  hope  you  have  more  honor  than 
to  come  and  disturb  defenseless,  unprotected  women." 

"  Have  you  no  husband  ?  " 

"Yes,  thank  God,  he's  a  colonel  in  the  confederate 
service." 

"  Well,  if  your  husband  was  at  home,  where  he  ought 
to  be,  you  would  not  be  a  defenseless  woman." 

The  woman  refused  to  unbolt  the  door,  in  spite  of  all 
persuasion,  but  while  she  railed  at  the  "  detestable  Yan 
kees,"  a  soldier  climbed  in  at  a  window  in  the  rear,  and 
unbolted  the  door.  Her  splendid  rooms  and  fine  mat 
tresses  furnished  lodgings  for  twenty  wounded  officers. 
Day  after  day,  the  gloom  of  death  hung  over  the  town. 


344  OUK   FALLEN   HEKOES. 

Hundreds  of  our  brave  fellows  were  dying.  Some  of 
the  finest  officers  of  our  army  were  daily  yielding  to  the 
destroyer. 

Among  the  severe  losses  to  the  Sixth  corps  were, 
Colonel  Barney,  of  the  Sixth  Vermont,  who  had  been 
shot  through  the  head.  He  died  on  the  10th.  He  was 
one  of  the  noblest  of  the  sons  of  Vermont,  a  pattern  of  a 
brave  soldier  and  Christian  gentleman,  respected  for  his 
ability  as  a  commander,  and  loved  for  his  social  virtues ; 
he  was  lamented  by  the  whole  corps.  Major  Fryer,  of 
the  Forty-third  New  York,  one  of  the  most  promising 
young  officers  in  the  corps,  died  on  the  12th,  from  wounds 
through  the  left  arm  and  lungs.  Captain  Walker  and 
Adjutant  Hesse,  of  the  Seventh  Maine,  and  Lieutenants 
Hooper  and  Vining,  of  the  same  regiment,  all  died  within 
a  few  hours  of  each  other.  Lieutenants  Follensbee  and 
Cook,  of  the  Thirty-seventh  Massachusetts,  and  Captain 
Kirkbride,  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Second  Pennsylva 
nia,  were  also  among  those  who  died.  Major  Dudley, 
of  the  Fifth  Vermont,  after  suffering  untold  agony  for 
many  days,  finally  yielded,  and  died  in  the  embraces  of  his 
youthful  wife,  who  had  arrived  in  Fredericksburgh  just  in 
time  to  be  present  during  his  last  hours.  The  major  had 
gone  into  the  fight  sick  with  a  fever,  but  his  determined 
bravery  forbade  him  to  remain  quiet.  Receiving  a  severe 
wound  while  thus  depressed  by  disease,  he  gradually 
sunk,  until  his  brave  spirit  took  its  departure. 

These  were  a  few  of  the  sad,  sad  scenes,  which  brought 
sorrow  to  our  hearts  day  after  day,  of  the  hospitals  at 
Fredericksburgh. 

Physicians  and  nurses  from  civil  life  came  to  our  assist 
ance  in  large  numbers.  Some  were  earnest  men,  wholly 
devoted  to  the  object  of  relieving  the  distress  which 
they  saw  on  every  side.  Others  had  come  for  selfish 
purposes. 


A   FATHER   IN   SEAKCH    OF   HIS   BOY.  345 

Physicians  who  had  never  performed  an  important  sur 
gical  operation  came  armed  with  amputating  cases,  and 
seemed  to  think  that  there  was  but  one  thing  to  be  done, 
to  operate  as  they  said. 

Distressed  fathers  and  brothers  wandered  about  the 
town,  in  search  of  information  regarding  some  son  or 
friend  who  had  been  wounded,  or  perhaps,  as  they  feared, 
killed. 

The  following  is  but  an  example  of  many  sad  incidents 
of  this  kind :  H.  A.  Bowers,  of  the  Seventy-seventh  New 
York,  a  young  man  much  beloved  and  respected  in  his 
regiment,  was  wounded  through  the  chest  on  the  5th  of 
May,  and  with  the  other  wounded  brought  to  Fredericks- 
burgh.  His  father,  who  resided  in  Albany,  received  the 
intelligence  that  his  son  was  dangerously  wounded,  and 
hastened  to  Fredericksburgh  in  search  of  him.  He  arrived 
at  that  immense  hospital,  and  at  once  commenced  his 
inquiries  after  his  soldier  boy.  Failing  to  learn  anything 
of  him,  except  the  assurance  that  he  had  been  placed  in 
the  ambulances,  he  sought  out  the  quartermaster  of  the 
Seventy-seventh,  who  wTas  with  the  army  train  just  out 
of  town.  The  quartermaster  readily  lent  his  aid  in  the 
search,  and  both  at  once  sought  the  surgeon  of  that 
regiment  for  information,  but  he,  having  the  care  of  a 
multitude,  could  tell  them  nothing  of  the  object  of  their 
search.  Thousands  of  wounded  men  were  here,  filling 
the  city,  but,  thus  far,  the  important  duties  of  relieving 
their  immediate  necessities  had  occupied  the  attention  of 
surgeons  and  attendants  to  the  exclusion  of  everything 
else ;  and  no  record  or  register  had  been  made  by  which 
a  particular  wounded  man  might  be  found.  Unless  some 
friend  or  acquaintance  could  direct  to  his  place,  the  search 
was  often  long.  The  nurses  were  instructed  to  afford  the 
anxious  father  every  assistance  in  finding  his  son.  Two 
more  long  weary  days  were  spent  in  the  fruitless  search, 
44 


346  JOY   AND   MOURNING. 

when  word  was  sent  to  the  father  that  his  boy  might  be 
found  in  a  certain  church.  Overjoyed  at  the  thought 
that  at  last  his  search  was  to  be  crowned  with  success, 
he  hastened  to  the  place.  Who  shall  attempt  to  tell  the 
anguish  of  that  father,  when,  on  reaching  the  hospital,  he 
found  that  his  son  had  expired  half  an  hour  before ! 

At  length,  by  the  26th  of  May,  all  the  wounded  men 
were  sent  by  transports  to  Washington,  and  the  hospitals 
broken  up.  The  surgeons,  escorted  by  a  squadron  of  cav 
alry,  crossed  the  country  by  way  of  Bowling  Green,  and, 
after  a  three  days'  journey,  rejoined  the  army  at  Hanover. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

COAL  HA&BOR. 

At  Hanover  Court  House  —  The  Eighteenth  corps  joins  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  — 
The  armies  meet  at  Coal  Harbor —Battle  of  June  1st  — Battle  of  June  3d  — Ter 
rible  exposure  —  The  army  strikes  for  Petersburgh  —  Charles  City  Court  House  — 
A  centenarian  —  Review  of  the  overland  campaign. 

EAKLY  on  the  morning  of  the  30th,  the  army  was  again 
moving,  advancing  with  heavy  skirmishing  toward  Han 
over  Court  House.  Remaining  here  some  hours  the  column 
retraced  its  steps  a  short  distance,  the  rebels  meanwhile 
opening  a  severe  artillery  fire  upon  our  hospital  trains. 

Toward  evening  the  enemy  attacked  our  left  vigorously 
but  were  repulsed,  and  an  attack  was  in  turn  made  by  our 
own  troops  which  resulted  in  forcing  the  rebels  from  a 
part  of  their  intrenchments.  Except  some  changes  of 
position  and  ascertaining  that  of  the  enemy,  our  army 
lay  quietly  confronting  the  rebels  during  the  31st,  but  on 
the  1st  of  June  we  were  again  on  the  road  marching 
toward  Coal  Harbor.  The  march  was  a  hard  one.  The 
day  was  sultry,  and  the  dust,  ankle  deep,  raised  in  clouds 
by  the  column,  was  almost  suffocating.  It  filled  the  air 
and  hung  upon  the  leaves  of  the  trees  like  snow.  Seldom 
had  our  men  experienced  so  severe  a  march.  As  we 
neared  Coal  Harbor  our  Sixth  corps  in  advance,  we  fell  in 
with  the  column  of  General  Smith's  command,  the  Eigh 
teenth  and  Tenth  corps.  It  was  a  relief  to  the  old  soldiers 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  to  see  these  full  regiments, 
and  they  felt  that  with  such  large  reinforcements  our 
success  must  now  be  insured.  It  was  also  a  source  of 
much  gratification  to  the  old  Second  division  to  meet 


348  SMITH'S  COMMAND. 

again  our  friends  Generals  Smith  and  Brooks,  whose 
names  were  so  intimately  connected  with  the  division,  and 
who  still  held  a  large  place  in  the  affections  of  the  men. 

These  two  corps  were  a  part  of  General  Butler's  com 
mand,  which  had  advanced  up  the  Peninsula  as  far  as 
Bermuda  Hundreds,  but  were  unable  to  make  further  pro 
gress.  General  Grant  had,  therefore,  directed  General 
Butler  to  send  them  forward  by  way  of  transports  to 
White  House  Landing,  to  join  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 
They  reached  us  tired  and  almost  discouraged  by  their 
unusual  march  of  nearly  sixteen  miles,  their  trains  and 
baggage  being  left  behind. 

In  the  afternoon  we  had  fallen  in  with  ambulances 
returning  with  wounded  cavalrymen,  and  learned  from 
them  that  Sheridan  had  engaged  the  rebel  cavalry  at  Coal 
Harbor  early  in  the  morning,  and  that  he  was  now  fighting 
both  infantry  and  cavalry.  Toward  that  point  the  troops 
pushed  on  rapidly,  reaching  the  cavalry  line  at  about  four 
o'clock.  The  men  halted  a  few  moments,  and  then  were 
ordered  to  fall  in  and  advance  against  the  enemy.  Skir 
mishers,  as  usual,  had  advanced  and  prepared  the  way  for 
the  lines  of  infantry  and  the  artillery.  The  shots  of  the 
skirmishers  had  become  more  and  more  frequent,  till 
the  sharp  rattle  of  musketry  told  of  the  actual  presence 
of  the  enemy.  The  artillery  of  the  Sixth  corps  was  at  once 
run  out,  and  a  brisk  fire  opened  upon  the  rebels,  who  replied 
with  their  guns,  but  with  less  vigor  than  that  exhibited  by 
our  own.  The  commands  of  Wright  and  Smith  were  at 
once  formed  in  line  of  battle,  our  Sixth  corps  on  the  left  in 
line,  Rickett's  Third  division  holding  the  right  of  the  line, 
Russell's  the  center,  and  Neill's  Second  division  the  extreme 
left  of  the  whole  line.  On  our  right  was  Smith's  command 
in  single  line. 

In  front  of  our  line  was  an  open  space  two-thirds  of  a 
mile  in  width,  beyond  which  was  a  strip  of  pine  woods. 


BATTLE    OF   COAL   HAEBOE.  349 

In  these  woods  the  enemy  had  intrenched,  and  was  hold 
ing  the  position  in  strong  force.  Lee,  again  anticipating 
the  design  of  Grant,  had  sent  Longstreet's  corps  and  other 
troops  to  occupy  Coal  Harbor,  and  now,  with  their  rear 
resting  upon  the  Chickahominy,  at  this  point  a  shallow 
and  easily  forded  stream,  the  rebels  occupied  a  strong 
position  between  our  advance  and  Richmond. 

The  order  for  the  charge  was  given,  and  these  two  com 
mands,  weary  and  exhausted,  the  veterans  of  the  Sixth 
corps  from  many  days  and  nights  of  most  severe  labor, 
and  both  corps  by  the  tedious  march  of  the  day,  dashed 
impetuously  across  the  ploughed  field  with  shouts  and 
cheers,  making  for  the  rebel  works. 

The  storm  of  battle  seemed  suddenly  to  have  broken 
without  the  usual  warning.  It  was  less  than  an  hour 
since  the  Union  troops  had  arrived  on  the  field,  and 
already  a  most  bloody  struggle  was  in  progress.  Volleys 
rang  out  upon  the  evening  air,  crashing  louder  and  still 
louder.  The  First  and  Third  divisions  of  the  Sixth  corps, 
in  heavy  columns,  rushed  across  the  field,  cleared  the  abat- 
tis,  and  seized  the  rebel  works,  while  the  Second  division, 
on  the  left,  discovering  a  strong  force  of  the  enemy  plant 
ing  a  battery  on  our  flank,  engaged  them  and  forced  them 
back.  Smith's  command,  also,  by  a  desperate  charge, 
seized  nearly  the  whole  line  in  the  front,  that  on  the 
extreme  right,  in  front  of  Brooks'  command,  alone  remain 
ing  in  the  hands  of  the  rebels.  The  whole  line  thundered 
with  the  incessant  volleys  of  musketry,  and  the  shot  and 
shell  of  the  artillery  shrieked  and  howled  like  spirits  of 
evil.  The  sun  was  sinking,  red,  in  the  west,  and  the 
clouds  of  dust  and  smoke  almost  obscured  the  terrible 
scene.  Hundreds  of  our  brave  fellows  were  falling  on 
every  side,  and  stretcher  bearers  were  actively  engaged  in 
removing  the  wounded  from  the  field.  The  First  division, 
after  a  stubborn  resistance  of  a  few  minutes,  was  forced 


350  A  SANGUINARY   STRUGGLE. 

to  give  up  the  line  of  works  it  had  captured  and  fall  back ; 
only  the  Third  division  held  its  ground.  The  others  had 
advanced  as  »far,  but  the  ground  was  unfavorable,  and  in 
spite  of  most  determined  efforts  to  hold  the  line,  they  were 
forced  to  swing  back. 

This  was  the  first  experience  of  Smith's  command  in  a 
great  battle,  and  well  did  his  men  earn  the  confidence  of 
the  veterans  who  fought  by  their  side.  Their  courage 
and  impetuosity  were  the  subjects  of  admiration  of  the 
boys  of  the  old  Sixth  corps,  who  declared  that  Baldy  Smith 
could  make  any  troops  fight  like  veterans. 

The  gallantry  shown  by  our  Third  division  in  taking 
and  holding  the  enemy's  works,  was  acknowledged  with 
true  soldierly  generosity  by  the  other  divisions  of  our 
corps,  who  thus  far  had  not  regarded  the  new  division  as 
their  peer. 

As  darkness  came  on,  the  conflict  still  raged,  and  sheets 
of  flame  rolled  from  one  end  of  the  line  to  the  other  as 
the  discomfited  rebels  strove  desperately  to  regain  their 
lost  ground.  But  as  the  sound  of  battle  died  away  at 
nine  o'clock,  the  advantages  gained  by  us  were  still  held, 
and  our  men  set  to  work  to  strengthen  the  works  they 
had  captured  from  the  enemy  and  to  throw  up  new  ones. 
Again  and  again  the  rebels  rushed  against  the  Union  line 
hoping  to  regain  their  lost  ground,  but  without  success. 
The  battle,  although  of  brief  duration,  had  been  a  most 
sanguinary  one.  The  loss  to  the  Sixth  corps  was  about 
two  hundred  killed  and  nine  hundred  and  sixty  wounded, 
while  the  Eighteenth  corps  lost  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  killed  and  six  hundred  and  fifty  wounded. 

Meanwhile  the  Second,  Fifth  and  Ninth  corps  were  hold 
ing  the  position  occupied  by  them  the  day  before,  and 
against  these  corps  most  desperate  assaults  were  repeatedly 
made  by  the  enemy,  but  they  were  as  often  repulsed  with 
great  slaughter. 


THE   NEW   LINE    OF   BATTLE.  351 

The  movement  at  Coal  Harbor,  while  it  had  not  suc 
ceeded  in  forcing  the  enemy  across  the  Chickahominy, 
had  secured  our  communications  with  White  House  Land 
ing,  which  now  became,  after  two  years,  for  the  second 
time,  the  base  of  supplies  for  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 
General  Grant  now  determined  to  renew  the  attempt  to 
dislodge  the  rebels  on  the  following  day. 

Accordingly,  after  the  fashion  of  all  the  movements  of 
the  army,  the  Second  corps,  which  now  occupied  the 
extreme  right  of  the  line,  withdrew  during  the  night,  and 
falling  behind  the  other  corps,  marched  rapidly  to  the  left 
and  took  position  in  that  flank  on  the  road  leading  from 
Dispatch  Station  to  Coal  Harbor.  The  corps  did  not 
secure  this  position  without  considerable  fighting,  and  it 
was  not  in  condition  to  take  part  in  the  expected  advance 
until  the  afternoon.  Then  a  most  violent  thunder  shower 
set  in,  putting  a  stop  to  all  movements  for  the  remainder 
der  of  the  day. 

The  men  of  the  Sixth  and  Eighteenth  corps,  tired  and 
worn  out  from  marching,  fighting,  and  the  hard  night's 
work  in  throwing  up  intrenchments,  had  spent  the  early 
part  of  the  day  in  quietly  watching  the  enemy,  or  lounging 
behind  the  breastworks,  glad  of  an  opportunity  for  rest. 

Orders  were  now  given  for  a  simultaneous  attack  along 
the  whole  line,  to  take  place  at  half-past  four  on  the  morn 
ing  of  the  3d.  Our  line  of  battle  extended  from  Coal 
Harbor  to  Tolopotamy  creek,  in  the  following  order,  from 
left  to  right :  Second,  Sixth,  Eighteenth,  Fifth,  and  Ninth. 
This  line  was  nearly  parallel  with  the  Chickahominy,  and 
from  a  mile  and  a  half  to  two  miles  north  of  it. 

The  rebels  had  not  left  the  day  unimproved,  in  concen 
trating  their  troops  and  strengthening  their  works.  They 
now  held  three  lines  of  breastworks,  all  of  great  strength ; 
the  first  occupied  by  their  skirmish  lines,  the  others  by 
strong  lines  of  battle.  Between  the  two  armies  the 


352  BATTLE    OF   THE    THIRD    OF   JUNE. 

ground  was  low  and  swampy,  while  the  positions  occupied 
by  both  were  sandy  plains. 

At  half-past  six  on  the  morning  of  the  3d,  our  army  was 
astir ;  and  the  skirmishers,  leaving  the  cover  of  the  rifle 
pits,  were  advancing.  Presently  they  fell  in  with  the 
skirmishers  of  the  enemy,  and  the  sharp  cracking  of  rifles 
betokened  the  storm  of  battle. 

As  soon  as  the  skirmishers  were  engaged,  our  artillery 
opened  upon  the  rebel  works,  and  the  conflict  now 
commenced  in  earnest.  Amid  the  deafening  volleys  of 
musketry,  the  thunders  of  the  artillery,  and  the  wild  yells 
of  battle,  our  brave  fellows  pressed  rapidly  across  the 
space  between  the  hostile  lines  of  works,  and  the  whole 
Union  force  was  thrown  against  the  rebel  breastworks 
almost  simultaneously.  But  the  works  were  too  strong, 
the  abattis  too  troublesome,  and  the  rebel  forces  too 
numerous.  Their  line  could  not  be  taken. 

The  vigorous  and  gallant  assault  made  by  the  Sixth 
corps,  resulted  in  carrying  the  first  line,  where  the  rebel 
skirmishers  had  been  posted,  and  our  troops  got  within 
two  hundred  and  fifty  yards  of  the  main  works,  but  Mar- 
tindale's  division  of  Smith's  corps,  which  advanced  with 
the  Sixth  corps,  and  on  our  right,  found  the  task  before  it 
too  great ;  the  troops  of  that  division  became  disarranged 
and  were  repulsed.  Although  General  Smith,  who  was 
always  up  to  the  front,  made  several  attempts  to  relieve 
Martindale's  division,  it  failed  to  take  the  rifle  pits. 

The  right  flank  of  the  Sixth  corps,  thus  exposed,  the 
whole  corps  was  forced  to  fall  back. 

Thus  this  grand  assault,  in  which  General  Grant  hoped 
to  force  his  enemy  across  the  Chickahominy,  failed  with 
immense  loss  to  us  and  comparatively  little  to  the  confed 
erate  army,  which  as  usual  was  defended  by  earthworks, 
while  our  men  advancing  to  the  charge  were  unprotected. 
But  our  brave  fellows  were  to  have  their  revenge. 


THE    REBELS   ATTACK.  353 

The  battle  was  over,  and  again  the  occupants  of  the 
opposing  lines  of  defenses  watched  each  other,  the  quiet 
being  only  disturbed  by  the  occasional  shots  of  sharp 
shooters.  Darkness  closed  over  the  plains  of  Coal  Harbor, 
and  even  the  sharpshooters  desisted  from  their  work. 
The  stars  shed  a  mild  light  upon  the  two  armies  which 
had  so  lately  been  engaged  in  fierce  conflict,  each  now 
securely  resting  behind  its  line  of  earthworks,  and  the 
plain  which  lay  between  them,  which  the  hurricane  of 
battle  had  so  lately  swept,  was  as  still  as  though  the  noise 
of  war  had  never  been  heard  there. 

Suddenly,  at  eight  o'clock,  the  rebels  in  front  of  our 
Sixth  corps  and  of  the  Second  corps,  leaped  over  their 
works  and  rushed  with  a  yell  toward  our  lines.  At  the 
same  time  their  artillery  opened  upon  us.  The  course  of 
their  shells  was  marked  by  long  curves  of  fire  upon  the 
dark  sky,  while  the  flashes  of  the  guns  and  bursting  mis 
siles  made  a  sublime  display  of  pyrotechnics. 

On  came  the  charging  column,  against  the  left  of  the 
Sixth  and  the  right  of  the  Second  corps;  but  nothing 
pleased  our  brave  boys  more  than  to  see  their  enemies 
come  out  from  the  cover  of  their  works  to  fight. 

It  had,  during  all  these  long  days  of  battles,  been  ours 
to  charge  well  defended  earthworks  almost  invariably; 
and  whenever  the  rebels  chose  to  assume  the  offensive, 
our  men  were  glad  to  show  them  the  difference  between 
being  the  assailants  and  the  assailed. 

Now  the  rebels  came  on  with  determination,  but  their 
attack  was  met  by  volley  after  volley  of  musketry  aimed 
for  effect ;  and  our  well  directed  fire  of  artillery  made 
great  gaps  in  the  advancing  lines.  The  attack  was  nobly 
repulsed,  and  many  grey-coated  soldiers  who  advanced  to 
the  charge,  were  left  by  their  retreating  comrades,  dead 
between  the  two  lines,  while  others  were  ordered  in  as 
prisoners.  The  rebels  returned  to  their  place,  and  again 
45 


354  AN   ARMY   BURROWING. 

all  was  still.  From  this  time  we  had  no  more  battles  at 
Coal  Harbor,  yet  we  daily  lost  many  men  by  the  shots  of 
the  sharpshooters  who  were  perched  in  trees,  and  who 
kept  up  a  fire  at  every  moving  thing  which  showed  itself 
within  our  lines. 

Never  before  had  our  army  been  in  a  position  where 
there  was  such  constant  danger  as  at  Coal  Harbor.  Men 
in  the  front  line  dared  not  leave  the  cover  of  the  breast 
works  except  in  the  darkness  of  night,  and  even  then  the 
movement  of  a  company  to  the  rear  might  bring  on  a 
storm  of  shells.  High  breastworks  were  thrown  up  at  all 
angles  with  the  main  line,  and  deep  trenches  were  dug,  in 
which  the  men  might  pass  to  and  from  the  front  without 
being  observed.  Even  with  all  these  extraordinary  pre 
cautions,  no  man  was  safe  in  venturing  to  go  to  the  rear 
by  daylight.  If  a  soldier  collected  the  canteens  of  his 
companions  and  started  to  the  rear  for  water,  he  was 
obliged  to  crawl  along  the  trenches  with  the  utmost 
secrecy,  and  even  then  he  was  liable  to  be  shot.  Not  a 
day  passed,  even  when  there  was  no  battle,  in  which 
scores  of  men  were  not  killed  or  brought  to  the  hospitals 
with  severe  wounds. 

The  whole  plain  occupied  by  our  army  was  dug  over. 
Far  to  the  rear  the  men  had  intrenched  themselves.  Gen 
eral  officers  had  their  tents  erected  in  deep  excavations 
surrounded  by  embankments  of  earth,  and  special  duty 
men  had  each  prepared  for  themselves  burrows  in  the 
ground,  many  of  which  were  creditable  specimens  of 
engineering.  One  was  reminded,  in  riding  over  the  plain, 
of  the  colonies  of  prairie  dogs  with  their  burrows  and 
mounds.  Although  we  had  but  two  days'  actual  fighting 
at  Coal  Harbor,  our  losses  were  more  than  thirteen  thousand 
men,  while  the  rebels  suffered  comparatively  small  losses. 

Thus  the  army  lay  upon  the  burning  sands  of  that 
arid  plain,  the  greater  part  of  the  line  without  the 


LEAVING    COAL    HARBOll.  355 

friendly  shelter  of  a  tree,  weary,  yet  not  discouraged ; 
grimmy  and  dirty,  and  choked  with  dust,  yet  uttering  no 
words  of  complaint,  for  twelve  days. 

Troops  commenced  moving  toward  the  rear  on  the 
morning  of  the  llth  of  July,  and  it  became  known  that 
we  were  to  make  no  more  attempts  to  force  the  formidable 
position.  General  Grant  had  ordered  another  flank  move 
ment.  This  time  to  the  James  river.  Preparations  for 
withdrawing  went  on  actively  on  the  10th  and  llth;  all 
the  wounded  were  sent  to  the  White  House,  and  the  long 
trains  of  forage,  ammunition  and  commissary  supplies 
which  had  been  allowed  to  come  far  toward  the  front, 
began  to  pass  to  the  rear.  On  the  12th,  Smith's  corps 
was  ordered  to  the  White  House,  thence  to  embark  to  City 
Point,  while  the  remainder  of  the  army  was  to  cross  the 
Chickahommy  far  to  the  right  of  the  rebel  position,  and 
march  to  the  James  river. 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  long  hospital  train 
of  the  Sixth  corps  moved  out  toward  the  left  a  few  miles 
and  halted  for  the  corps,  wrhich  withdrew  from  the  works 
after  dark,  and  marched  with  great  rapidity  toward  the 
left.  The  other  corps  also  withdrew  from  their  positions, 
and  the  whole  army  moved  off  down  the  Chickahommy, 
the  Second  corps  in  advance.  The  march  was  kept  up  all 
night,  a  short  halt  only  being  allowed  in  the  morning  near 
Dispatch  Station.  Then  the  column  pressed  on  again,  the 
men  almost  suffocated  with  the  dust,  which  hung  over 
the  column  like  a  huge  cloud ;  no  halt  was  made  at  noon, 
and  the  men,  deprived  of  their  coffee,  choked  with  dust, 
and  burned  with  heat,  marched  wearily  toward  night. 
The  sun  was  sinking  in  the  west,  tinging  the  clouds  with 
purple,  and  crowning  the  distant  hills  with  gold,  when  we 
crossed  the  historic  Chickahominy.  Two  years  before 
we  had  crossed  the  same  stream  not  far  from  this  very 
spot.  Through  how  many  vicissitudes  of  army  life  had 


356  CHAKLES   CITY. 

we  passed  since  that  time.  The  stream  was  not  wide,  and 
its  banks  were  well  defined  where  we  crossed.  Indeed,  at 
this  point,  there  was  nothing  in  the  appearance  of  the 
stream  that  would  convey  any  idea  of  the  difficulties 
which  it  had  once  presented  to  the  Union  army.  The 
corps  bivouacked  on  high  grounds  a  mile  from  the  river, 
glad  to  rest  from  the  toiling  march. 

We  were  early  astir  on  the  morning  of  the  14th;  taking 
our  line  of  march  through  a  delightful  section  of  country 
where  the  comfortable  farm  houses  and  fine  residences 
presented  a  striking  contrast  with  the  desolations  to  which 
we  had  become  accustomed.  As  we  began  to  descend 
from  the  high  lands  toward  the  plain,  on  which  stands  the 
little  cluster  of  houses  called,  in  southern  fashion,  Charles 
City,  we  beheld,  in  the  distance,  the  James  river,  lying  in 
all  its  loveliness,  spreading  widely  between  its  banks.  A 
magnificent  prospect  opened  before  us.  The  river  in  the 
distance  bordered  by  green  fields,  one  undulating  slope 
four  or  five  miles  wide,  and  twice  as  long,  presenting  a 
scene  of  surpassing  beauty.  There  were  large  fields  of 
grain  already  yellow  and  nearly  ripe  for  the  harvest,  green 
meadows  lay  in  the  beautiful  valleys,  the  gentle  breeze 
dallied  with  the  tassels  of  the  long  rows  of  corn,  which 
gave  rich  promise  of  an  abundant  harvest ;  fine  groves 
upon  the  hillside,  in  the  valleys  and  on  the  plain,  gave  a 
charming  diversity  to  the  scene,  and  the  old  mansions, 
embosomed  in  vines  and  trees,  and  surrounded  by  colonies 
of  outhouses,  reminded  us  of  the  ease  and  comfort  which 
had  reigned  here  before  the  ravages  of  war  had  desolated 
Virginia.  To  the  right  was  Charles  City,  almost  hidden 
by  trees,  a  little  town,  in  prosperous  days,  the  home  of  a 
few  hundred  people,  now  almost  deserted. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Charles  City  we  halted  a  little  before 
noon.  The  Second  corps,  which  was  in  the  advance,  had 
already  reached  the  James  at  Wilcox's  Landing,  and  was 


JOHN  TYLER'S  HOUSE.  357 

preparing  to  cross.  The  men  of  our  corps  were  delighted 
with  the  opportunity  of  once  more  spreading  their  tents 
over  clean  grassy  turf,  and  each  quickly  pitched  his  shelter 
tent  preparatory  to  a  refreshing  rest. 

Within  two  miles  of  our  camp  was  the  residence  of  the 
late  ex-president,  John  Tyler,  which  was  visited  by  many 
of  our  officers.  It  was  a  charming  spot,  with  everything 
about  it  to  please  the  eye  of  a  lover  of  the  beautiful.  But 
except  the  grounds  immediately  surrounding  the  house, 
everything  was  in  the  wildness  of  nature. 

The  house  was  stripped  of  almost  everything.  The  cabi 
net  was  carried  off.  The  large  library  had  lost  many  of  its 
choicest  volumes,  while  the  remainder,  with  heaps  of  let 
ters,  lay  thrown  in  wild  confusion  about  the  floor.  The 
pile  of  sheet  music  which  had  been  left  on  the  piano  by 
the  family,  had  been  culled  over  and  nearly  all  taken  away. 
In  fact  such  a  sad  scene  of  destruction  was  rare,  even  in 
the  track  of  a  great  army. 

On  the  morning  of  the  15th,  the  corps  moved  to  the 
river  side,  where  it  remained  while  other  troops  were 
crossing  by  ferry  and  on  an  immensely  long  pontoon 
bridge.  The  river  was  full  of  shipping,  the  forests  of 
masts  making  strange  contrasts  with  the  native  forests  on 
the  river  banks. 

Near  the  crossing  was  a  superb  old  mansion,  the  resi 
dence  of  a  rebel  general,  surrounded  by  its  little  village 
of  negro  cabins.  Here  many  officers  of  the  corps  resorted, 
to  spend  the  time  in  walking  among  the  grand  old  trees, 
or  to  stroll  through  the  garden,  admiring  the  elegant  and 
rare  exotics  which  adorned  the  grounds.  Here  was  the 
magnolia  grandiflora  in  full  bloom,  its  immense  cup-like 
flowers  filling  the  whole  place  with  delightful  fragrance, 
and  the  American  agave,  also  loaded  with  a  profusion  of 
elegant  flowers ;  roses  of  the  most  rare  and  superb  varie 
ties,  jasmines,  honeysuckles,  clematis,  spice  woods,  and  a 


358  A    CENTENAEIAN. 

great  variety  of  other  choice  plants,  were  also  in  lavish 
abundance.  There  were  locust  trees  of  enormous  size,  and 
everything  that  was  inanimate  filled  us  with  surprise  and 
delight.  But,  within  the  mansion,  we  were  met  with  the 
accustomed  bitterness  and  want  of  civility.  Among 
the  slaves  on  the  premises  was  a  white-haired  negro,  who 
was  one  hundred  and  eight  years  old.  His  wife,  who  lived 
upon  a  neighboring  plantation,  was  one  hundred  and  four 
years  of  age.  When  asked  his  age  by  the  boys,  he  was 
accustomed  to  answer,  "  Well,  massa,  I'se  going  on  two 
hundred  now."  The  old  fellow  manifested  no  sympathy 
for  the  cause  of  his  master,  and  even  he  sighed  for  freedom. 
When  asked  of  what  value  freedom  could  be  to  him  now, 
he  answered,  impatiently,  "  Well,  massa,  isn't  a  hundred 
and  eight  years  long  enough  to  be  a  slave  ?" 

The  army,  which  had  thus  fought  its  way  at  fearful  cost 
from  the  Rapidan  to  the  James,  was  now  to  change 
its  base,  and  threaten  the  rebel  capital  from  the  south. 
Petersburgh  was  now  the  objective  point,  and  this  was 
regarded  as  the  door  to  Richmond. 

Our  army  had,  during  the  period  of  a  little  more  than 
a  month,  fought  the  most  extraordinary  series  of  battles, 
and  executed  some  of  the  most  remarkable  movements  on 
record.  Never  was  heroic  valor  exhibited  on  a  grander 
scale  than  had  been  manifested  by  the  Army  of  the  Poto 
mac  throughout  this  long  struggle,  in  which  every  man's 
life  seemed  doomed.  The  stubborn  perseverance  of  the 
general  was  equaled  by  the  persistent  determination  of 
his  soldiers.  Day  after  day  they  had  been  called  upon  to 
assault  earthworks  of  formidable  character,  defended  by 
veteran  troops ;  and  it  was  usually  the  case  that  they  had 
seen,  as  the  only  fruits  of  their  daring,  almost  reckless, 
charges,  the  ground  in  front  of  the  hostile  intrenchments 
strewed  with  the  lifeless  bodies  of  their  comrades,  while 
the  enemy  still  held  the  coveted  line  of  works. 


RETROSPECTIVE.  359 

The  battle  of  the  Wilderness  was  a  strange,  deadly 
struggle,  which  no  man  could  see.  A  battle  in  which 
both  armies  were  hidden  in  thickets  and  forests,  impene 
trable  to  vision,  each  making  gigantic  efforts  for  the 
overthrow  and  destruction  of  the  other.  It  had  resulted 
in  no  decisive  advantage  to  either  party.  Lee  was  as 
ready  to  meet  us  at  Spottsylvania  as  he  had  been  in  the 
Wilderness,  and  Grant  was  determined  in  his  attack  along 
the  Ny,  as  though  he  had  met  with  no  repulse  on  Wilder 
ness  Run.  The  soldiers,  too,  of  each  army  were  as  ready 
at  Spottsylvania  to  test  their  relative  valor  as  they  had 
been  in  the  Wilderness. 

At  Spottsylvania  we  had  lost  thousands  of  our  best  men, 
and  hundreds  of  our  ablest  officers  in  futile  attempts  to 
drive  our  enemy  from  impregnable  positions;  yet,  not 
withstanding  all  our  losses,  and  our  hitherto  unsuccessful 
assaults,  our  men  rushed  against  the  strong  defenses  at 
Coal  Harbor  with  as  much  resolution  and  fortitude  as 
though  they  had  met  with  no  reverses. 

From  the  Rapidan  to  the  Chickahominy  the  advance 
had  been  almost  a  continuous  battle,  in  which  our  army 
fought  at  a  disadvantage.  The  men  had  for  more  than  a 
month  engaged  the  enemy  in  mortal  combat  by  day  and 
made  fatiguing  marches  by  night  only  to  find  themselves 
again  face  to  face  with  the  enemy  in  the  morning.  Sixty 
thousand  of  our  comrades  were  either  killed,  wounded  or 
missing.  Of  these  more  than  thirteen  thousand  had  been 
lost  at  Coal  Harbor,  about  thirty-two  thousand  in  the 
Wilderness,  and  nearly  fifteen  thousand  at  Spottsylvania 
and  on  the  North  Anna. 

It  is  true  that  our  enemy  had  suffered  great  losses,  yet 
not  half  as  many  rebels  as  Union  men  had  fallen.  At 
Coal  Harbor  the  disproportion  was  much  greater  than 
elsewhere.  There  the  rebel  loss  had  not  been  one- 
tenth  as  great  as  our  own.  Notwithstanding  our  frequent 


360  DIRECT   FOR   RICHMOND. 

• 

repulses,  and  despite  the  fact  that  our  road  was  continu 
ally  blocked  by  an  army  behind  powerful  defenses,  our 
march  had  been  straight  on  toward  the  goal  of  our  ambi 
tion,  the  rebel  capital. 

From  the  crossing  of  the  Rapidan  to  the  halt  at  Coal 
Harbor,  in  all  our  battles  and  all  our  flank  movements,  we 
had  not  swerved  from  the  direct  line  to  Richmond ;  and 
now,  with  unimpaired  vigor  and  still  relentless  determina 
tion,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  the  imperturbable 
leader  of  the  Union  armies,  were  ready  to  undertake  the 
capture  of  Richmond,  by  way  of  Petersburgh,  fully 
assured  that  their  illustrious  valor  and  never  failing  cour 
age  must  sooner  or  later  meet  with  their  award. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

PETERSBURG!!. 

The  march  to  Petersburgh— Smith's  successes  —  The  battle  of  June  18th  — The 
Sixth  and  Second  corps  sent  to  the  left— Bebels  penetrate  the  line  —  Progress  of 
the  siege  — Sixth  corps  proceeds  to  Beams'  Station  — Kautz's  and  Wilson's  raids. 

AT  sunset  on  the  16th,  the  Sixth  .corps  gathered  upon 
the  banks  of  the  James  river,  and  while  the  First  and 
Third  divisions  embarked  on  steamers  for  City  Point,  the 
Second  division  crossed  on  the  pontoon  bridge.  The 
division  marched  all  night  toward  Petersburgh,  from 
which  direction  we  had  heard  cannonading  all  day.  The 
column  moved  rapidly,  leaving  scores  of  stragglers,  who 
quietly  rolled  themselves  in  their  blankets  artd  lay  down 
behind  the  hedges  to  sleep  till  morning.  The  following 
day  was  sultry,  and  the  dust  was  very  annoying.  The 
men  were  weary  from  want  of  sleep,  and  the  march  was 
a  severe  one;  but  at  sunset  the  division  arrived  at  our 
lines  before  Petersburgh.  Smith's  corps  had  preceded  us, 
and  by  assaulting  the  rebel  position  on  the  evening  of  the 
16th,  had  carried  the  lines  northeast  of  the  town  for  a 
distance  of  over  two  and  a  half  miles,  capturing  fifteen 
pieces  of  artillery  and  three  hundred  prisoners.  General 
Smith  was  then  reinforced  by  Hancock's  corps,  which  had 
just  arrived  by  land,  but  no  further  advance  was  made 
that  night.  This  neglect  to  take  advantage  of  the  absence 
of  any  large  force  of  rebels  in  the  works  about  Peters 
burgh  was  severely  censured  by  General  Grant,  who  could 
not  understand  why  General  Smith,  now  reinforced  by  a 
large  corps,  had  not  at  once  taken  possession  of  the  town. 
The  day  that  the  Second  division,  Sixth  corps,  arrived  in 
46 


362  BEFORE    PETERSBURG!!. 

front  of  Petersburgh,  the  two  divisions  of  that  corps 
which  had  taken  transports  up  the  river,  were  ordered  to 
reinforce  General  Butler  at  Bermuda  Hundreds,  where  his 
command  had  gained  some  advantages,  which  were,  how 
ever,  lost  before  night.  All  the  corps  having  got  up, 
attacks  upon  the  rebel  positions  were  renewed  on  the  17th 
and  18th.  The  attack  on  the  17th  was  made  by  Smith's 
command,  and  resulted  in  the  loss  of  a  few  men,  when  the 
lines  were  withdrawn. 

Our  Second  division  now  relieved  Brooks'  division  of 
the  Eighteenth  corps  on  the  front  line,  the  Seventy-seventh 
taking  possession  of  a  powerful  redoubt,  the  other  regi 
ments  taking  their  places  in  close  proximity.  The  Ver 
mont  brigade  was  placed  in  rifle  pits,  as  was  also  the  First 
brigade.  In  order  to  secure  unity  of  action,  General  Neill, 
commanding  the  division,  was  directed  to  receive  orders 
from  General  Martindale  of  the  Eighteenth  corps. 

Standing  -in  the  redoubt  occupied  by  the  Seventy- 
seventh,  which  was  upon  a  high  bluff,  and  commanded  a 
fine  prospect  of  the  surrounding  country,  we  could  trace 
the  line  of  defenses  which  had  already  been  captured,  and 
those  yet  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  The  defenses  of 
Petersburgh  consisted  of  a  line  of  strong  earthworks,  in 
the  form  of  a  semicircle.  Immense  redoubts,  like  the  one 
we  now  occupied,  were  placed  at  frequent  intervals,  upon 
commanding  positions,  and  these  were  connected  by  a  line 
of  rifle  pits  and  high  breastworks.  At  all  advantageous 
points,  also,  were  well  constructed  rifle  pits,  in  front  (now 
in  rear)  of  the  main  works.  Smith's  corps  had  captured 
eleven  of  these  forts  and  redoubts  in  the  first  assault,  and 
they  were  now  occupied  by  our  forces,  and  the  strong 
works  which  were  intended  for  the  defense  of  the  town 
now  bristled  with  cannon  pointing  toward  it. 

The  line  of  powerful  forts  and  breastworks  commenced 
about  two  and  a  half  miles  below  Petersburgh,  on  the 


VALLEY    OF   THE    APPOHATTOX.  363 

Appomattox,  and,  circling  the  city,  terminated  two  or 
three  miles  above. 

Before  us  stretched  the  valley  of  the  Appomattox  in  all 
its  beauty,  the  level  plain  between  us  and  the  river  clothed 
in  the  verdure  of  summer,  the  green  fields  of  corn  yet 
untrodden  by  the  troops  of  either  side.  Below  the 
heights,  stretching  far  to  the  right  and  left,  was  the  line 
of  rifle  pits  now  occupied  by  our  men,  and  beyond  these 
could  be  traced  the  outlines  of  the  new  works  which 
the  rebels  were  throwing  up.  Still  beyond  all  these,  the 
spires  of  Petersburgh  towered  grandly,  and  by  the  help 
of  a  glass  the  streets  and  houses  were  distinctly  visible. 

On  the  18th,  another  advance  was  made  by  the  divisions 
of  Smith's  corps,  a  part  of  the  Second  corps,  and  our 
own  Second  division.  Smith's  troops  advanced  spiritedly 
across  the  plain,  facing  a  withering  fire  of  grape  and  can 
ister,  but  were  unable  to  come  up  to  the  rebel  works. 

They  were  ordered  to  lie  down,  and  at  once  every  man 
commenced  to  throw  up  a  little  mound  of  earth  in  front 
of  him,  using  his  cup  or  plate,  or  even  his  hands  or  jack- 
knife,  in  place  of  a  spade. 

Under  this  destructive  fire  the  troops  were  forced  to 
remain  for  some  time,  but  they  at  length  retired,  having 
lost  several  hundred  of  their  number.  ISTeill's  division 
was  on  the  left  of  Smith's  troops,  and  did  not  advance  as 
far.  Our  losses  were  therefore  slight. 

Owing  to  some  unfortunate  misunderstanding,  the  sur 
geons  of  the  Eighteenth  corps  were  ordered  to  the  right 
of  the  line  to  establish  field  hospitals ;  consequently,  when 
the  wounded  of  that  corps  began  to  come  in,  there  were 
none  of  their  surgeons  at  hand.  The  surgeons  of  our  own 
division,  however,  quickly  proceeded  to  establish  a  hospital 
for  them,  in  which  they  were  all  received  and  cared  for, 
their  wounds  dressed,  the  shattered  limbs  removed,  and  all 
their  wants  attended  to.  The  medical  officers  of  the  Eight- 


3G4  THE   THEEE   JAMESES. 

eenth  corps  expressed  their  warmest  gratitude  for  this  act 
of  kindness  on  the  part  of  the  Sixth  corps  surgeons,  this 
being  the  second  time  that  we  had  found  an  opportunity 
of  assisting  them  in  an  emergency. 

Our  lines  were  daily  drawn  more  closely  around  Peters- 
burgh,  but  no  other  general  action  was  brought  on  for 
some  time.  There  was  constant  firing  of  artillery  from 
both  sides,  and  now  and  then  the  rattle  of  musketry  would 
pass  along  the  lines. 

On  the  22d,  Colonel  BidwelPs  brigade  occupied  the  front 
line  of  rifle  pits.  The  sun  was  shining  brightly,  and  our 
men,  unprotected  by  shelter,  were  striving  to  pass  the  time 
with  as  little  discomfort  as  possible.  A  group  of  men  of 
the  Seventy-seventh  were  behind  the  breastwork,  stretched 
out  upon  the  sand,  resting  upon  their  elbows  and  amusing 
each  other  with  jokes,  when  a  shell  came  shrieking  into 
their  midst.  Its  explosion  threw  them  in  every  direction. 
One  went  high  in  the  air  and  fell  twenty  feet  from  the  spot 
where  he  was  lying  when  the  shell  exploded.  Strange  to 
tell,  not  a  man  was  killed,  yet  three  had  each  a  leg  crushed 
to  jelly,  and  two  others  were  seriously  wounded.  The 
three  whose  legs  were  crushed  were  Sergeant  James  Barnes, 
James  Lawrence,  and  James  Allen,  all  of  company  A. 
The  poor  fellows  were  taken  to  the  field  hospital  completely 
prostrated  from  the  shock,  cold  sweat  stood  upon  their 
pallid  brows,  and  life  seemed  but  to  flicker  before  going 
out.  The  surgeons  were  making  haste  to  load  the  wounded 
and  sick  into  ambulances  to  send  to  City  Point,  for  we  were 
ordered  to  march  at  a  moment's  notice.  "You  can  do 
nothing  for  those  men,"  said  the  wide  awake,  enterprising 
Doctor  Hall,  who  was  superintending  the  loading  of  the 
ambulances,  as  he  saw  the  surgeon  who  had  charge  of 
the  operations  prepare  to  remove  the  mangled  members. 
"  Better  put  them  into  ambulances  and  let  them  have  a 
chance  for  their  lives !  There  is  no  time  now  to  wait  for 


PETERSBUKGH  ENVELOPED.  365 

operations."  "  How  long  will  it  take  you  to  load  your 
ambulances,  doctor ?"  "  Twenty  minutes,  at  least."  "  Then 
I  will  have  the  men  ready  for  you."  The  surgeon  gave  to 
each  of  the  unfortunate  ones  a  glass  of  brandy,  then  admin 
istered  his  chloroform,  and  in  less  than  thirty  minutes  had 
amputated  the  limbs,  dressed  the  stumps,  and  placed  the 
men  in  ambulances.  They  were  taken  at  once  to  City 
Point,  where  they  were  placed  together.  Their  cases 
excited  great  interest  among  the  attendants  in  the  hospital 
and  the  visitors,  for  each  had  lost  a  leg  just  above  the  knee, 
the  name  of  each  was  James,  they  were  all  from  one  com 
pany,  all  wounded  by  a  single  shell,  and  all  as  cheerful  as 
were  ever  wounded  men.  They  were  afterward  removed 
to  Washington  and  again  placed  side  by  side,  and  here, 
also,  they  were  subjects  of  great  interest  to  visitors.  The 
writer  has  frequently  heard  the  case  of  the  three  Jameses 
related  by  persons  in  different  States,  who  never  mistrusted 
that  they  were  men  of  his  own  regiment.  The  boys  are 
each  well  now,  each  walks  with  his  artificial  limb,  and  each 
is  a  worthy  member  of  society. 

General  Grant,  finding  that  his  expectation  of  taking 
Petersburgh  by  surprise  had  failed,  prepared  for  a  system 
atic  investment  of  the  town.  Accordingly,  the  Sixth  and 
Second  corps  were  directed  to  proceed  to  the  left  of  the 
present  line,  so  as  to  envelop  the  town,  and  also  with 
the  view  of  striking  the  Weldon  railroad,  and  thus  cutting 
off  an  important  source  of  supplies  for  the  rebel  army. 

On  the  21st  of  May,  the  two  corps  marching  in  the  rear 
of  the  rest  of  the  army  went  into  position  on  the  left  flank, 
the  Second  corps  on  the  west  of  the  Jerusalem  plank  road, 
and  the  Sixth  to  the  left  and  rear  of  that  corps,  its  line 
nearly  at  right  angles  with  that  of  the  Second  corps. 
The  cavalry  divisions  of  Wilson  and  Kautz  were,  at  the 
same  time,  ordered  to  proceed  still  farther  to  the  left,  and, 
cutting  the  Weldon  road,  continue  the  march  across  the 


366  EEBELS   PENETEATE   THE   LINE. 

country,  until  they  should  strike  the  Southside  railroad, 
which  they  were  directed  to  destroy. 

On  the  morning  of  the  22d,  General  Birney,  who,  during 
the  temporary  absence  of  General  Hancock,  was  in  com 
mand  of  the  Second  corps,  was  directed  to  move  his  corps 
forward,  so  as  to  press  upon  the  left  flank  of  the  enemy. 
This  he  proceeded  to  do,  without  giving  notice  of  his 
intention  to  General  Wright.  The  result  of  the  move 
ment  was  to  leave  a  wide  gap  between  the  Second  and 
Sixth  corps. 

To  the  great  surprise  of  the  Third  division  of  our  corps, 
which  was  just  getting  into  position,  the  rebels  advanced 
in  strong  force  upon  the  flank  and  rear.  A  sharp  skirmish 
occurred,  in  which  that  division  and  a  part  of  the  Second 
division  lost  some  prisoners ;  but  the  principal  loss  fell 
upon  the  Second  corps,  for  that  corps,  having  thrown  its 
left  far  in  advance,  was  greatly  exposed.  The  principal 
attack  fell  upon  Barlow's  division,  which  occupied  the  left. 
That  division  was  driven  in  confusion  upon  the  other  divi 
sions  of  the  corps.  The  whole  corps  was  forced  back,  but 
after  some  spirited  fighting  the  rebels  were  forced  back, 
carrying  with  them  a  battery  belonging  to  the  Second 
corps,  and  more  than  two  thousand  prisoners.  From  our 
own  corps  they  had  captured  about  six  hundred  men  and 
a  stand  of  colors. 

The  responsibility  for  this  unfortunate  surprise  rests 
with  the  commander  of  the  Second  corps;  for  General 
Wright,  being  entirely  ignorant  of  any  design  to  advance 
that  corps,  had,  of  course,  made  no  disposition  to  keep  the 
line  intact.  The  men  of  the  Third  division  did  all  that 
men  could  do  under  the  circumstances,  and  are  entitled  to 
much  credit  for  the  repulse  which  they  gave  the  enemy. 

From  that  day,  except  that  at  times  the  roar  of  artillery 
shook  the  earth  for  miles  about,  we  remained  quiet  until 
the  29th  of  June.  The  light  sandy  soil  soon  became 


STATION.  867 

reduced  to  powder,  and  the  continual  passing  of  mules  and 
army  wagons  raised  huge  clouds  of  dust,  which  completely 
enveloped  the  army.  At  sunset  this  cloud  would  settle 
down  and  become  so  dense  that  one  could  not  see  objects 
twenty  yards  from  him.  The  heat  was  almost  intolerable, 
yet  the  health  of  the  men  was  better  than  usual  for  the 
summer  months. 

The  surgeons  had  their  hospitals  neatly  fitted  up,  and 
nurses  and  attendants  took  great  pride  in  adorning  the 
hospital  tents  with  the  boughs  of  the  magnolia  and  other 
beautiful  shrubs  and  flowers.  The  government  and  the 
agents  of  the  Sanitary  Commission  supplied  us  liberally 
with  lemons  and  vegetables,  so,  notwithstanding  the 
intense  heat,  and  the  constant  watchfulness  of  the  men 
behind  the  earthworks,  there  was  comparatively  little 
illness. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  29th  of  June  orders  came  for 
the  Sixth  corps  to  march  at  once  to  Reams'  Station,  far  to 
the  left,  where  the  cavalry  of  Kautz  and  Wilson,  which 
had  been  on  an  extensive  raid,  was  expected  to  arrive. 
At  four  o'clock  we  left  camp,  marched  all  the  remainder 
of  the  day  and  all  night.  We  found  ourselves  in  the 
morning  at  Reams'  Station,  on  the  Weldon  Railroad.  The 
men  at  once  commenced  tearing  up  the  track  and  burning 
the  ties.  Thus  they  toiled  all  the  morning,  but  no  cavalry 
made  its  appearance.  Late  in  the  day  the  corps  retraced 
their  steps,  and  arrived  that  night  within  two  and  a  half 
miles  of  the  position  we  had  left  the  day  before.  We 
made  our  bivouac  on  the  Jerusalem  plank  road,  and  in  the 
morning  rejoined  the  main  army  before  Petersburgh  and 
resumed  our  old  position. 

The  story  of  the  great  raid  of  Kautz  and  Wilson,  which 
we  now  learned  in  detail,  was  one  of  thrilling  interest,  full 
of  wild  adventure,  untold  hardship  and  great  peril.  The 
two  divisions  had  penetrated  far  to  the  rear  of  Lee's  army, 


368  KATJTZ'S   AND   WILSON'S   EAID. 

had  destroyed  miles  of  the  Weldon  railroad,  and  then, 
reaching  the  Southside  road,  the  great  artery  for  the  sup 
ply  of  the  rebel  army,  had  torn  up  the  track  and  burned 
the  ties  for  dozens  of  miles.  In  their  return  they  had 
fallen  in  with  the  cavalry  of  the  enemy,  and,  when  near 
Reams'  Station,  had  come  upon  a  strong  force  of  cavalry 
and  infantry.  An  engagement  ensued,  which  resulted  in 
the  Union  cavalry  being  driven,  and  hundreds  from  the 
immense  throng  of  colored  refugees,  which  was  following 
the  cavalry  towards  the  Union  lines,  were  ridden  down 
by  the  rebel  cavalry  and  killed.  The  cavalry  at  length 
succeeded  in  reaching  our  lines  by  making  a  circuit  farther 
south,  and  many  of  the  negroes  also  succeeded  in  escaping 
from  rebeldom. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

SIXTH    CORPS    TRANSFERRED     TO    WASHINGTON- 
BATTLE    OF  FORT  STEVENS. 

The  Shenandoah  Valley— Hunter's  advance  to  Lynchburgh  —  The  retreat  —  Rebels 
advance  into  Maryland  —  Battle  of  Monocacy  —  Sixth  corps  goes  to  Washington  — 
Battle  of  Fort  Stevens. 

THE  Shenandoah  Valley,  which  had  been  the  scene  of 
such  varied  fortunes  to  our  army  during  the  war,  again 
became  a  field  of  great  interest. 

Simultaneous  with  the  opening  of  the  spring  campaign 
by  the  army  of  the  Potomac,  General  Sigel,  who  then  com 
manded  in  the  valley,  commenced  to  move  his  army.  On 
the  15th  of  May  he  met  the  enemy  at  New  Market,  and 
was  defeated.  He  withdrew  his  army  to  Harper's  Ferry, 
where,  by  order  of  General  Grant,  who  was  dissatisfied  with 
his  management,  he  was  relieved  of  his  command  by  Gen 
eral  Hunter. 

General  Hunter  at  once  resumed  oifensive  operations, 
moved  up  the  valley  and  encountered  the  enemy  at  Pied 
mont  and  routed  him,  capturing  fifteen  hundred  prisoners, 
three  pieces  of  artillery  and  three  thousand  stand  of  small 
arms.  He  then  pursued  the  routed  army  to  Lynchburgh, 
which  place  he  invested.  To  meet  this  movement  of 
Hunter,  Lee  had  sent  General  Early  with  his  corps  to  the 
assistance  of  the  rebel  garrison.  This  force  arrived  just 
before  the  Union  army  came  up.  General  Hunter,  finding 
that  he  was  confronted  by  a  large  force,  his  ammunition 
being  nearly  exhausted,  the  difficulties  of  transporting 
over  so  long  a  march  sufficient  ordnance  stores  being  very 
great,  he  determined  to  withdraw  without  risking  a  bat- 
47 


370 

tie.  His  want  of  ammunition  forced  him  to  make  his 
retreat  by  that  route  which  would  afford  most  natural 
obstacles  to  pursuit  and  attack  of  the  enemy.  Accord 
ingly,  instead  of  retiring  directly  down  the  Shenandoah,  he 
drew  his  forces  off  through  the  Kanawha  Valley,  leaving 
the  Shenandoah  open  to  the  rebel  army.  The  march  of 
Hunter's  men  through  the  Kanawha,  harassed  by  the 
enemy  and  destitute  of  food,  was  one  of  great  severity. 
The  rebels  finding  the  Shenandoah  open  to  them,  at  once 
pushed  northward  with  a  view  of  ravaging  Maryland  and 
Pennsylvania,  and,  if  possible,  entering  Washington. 

Owing  to  the  great  difficulties  encountered  by  General 
Hunter's  army,  in  reaching  Harper's  Ferry  in  time  to 
oppose  Early,  it  became  necessary  to  send  other  troops  to 
meet  the  invading  force.  Accordingly,  about  the  1st  of 
July,  the  Third  division  of  our  Sixth  corps,  under  com 
mand  of  General  Ricketts,  was  sent  to  Baltimore,  and 
from  thence  marched  toward  Frederick,  Maryland,  where, 
on  the  banks  of  the  Monocacy  near  the  railroad  bridge, 
the  enemy  was  encountered.  The  Union  forces  consisted 
of  the  division  from  the  Sixth  corps,  and  a  few  thousand 
green  troops  collected  about  Baltimore,  all  under  command 
of  General  "Wallace.  The  force  of  Early  greatly  out 
numbered  those  of  the  Union  general,  and  after  a  hard 
fought  battle  our  men  were  driven  back.  Although  Gene 
ral  Wallace  had  met  with  defeat,  he  had  succeeded  in 
arresting  the  progress  of  the  invasion  for  a  time,  and 
enabled  the  remainder  of  our  corps  and  a  division  of  the 
Nineteenth  corps  to  reach  Washington  in  advance  of 
the  rebels. 

Such  was  the  state  of  affairs  in  Maryland,  when,  on  the 
evening  of  the  9th  July,  the  First  and  Second  divisions  of 
the  Sixth  corps  were  ordered  to  march  to  City  Point  at 
once.  The  order  came  at  nine  o'clock,  and  without  delay 
the  troops  were  in  motion.  We  had  become  too  much 


LEAVING   PETEESBUEGH.  371 

accustomed  to  sudden  movements,  to  require  long  prepara 
tions  for  breaking  up  camp.  The  march  of  fourteen  miles 
to  City  Point  made  during  the  night,  was  far  more  toler 
able  than  it  could  have  been  by  day.  For  although  the 
roads  were  composed  of  dry  beds  of  dust,  in  which 
the  men  sank  almost  ankle  deep  at  every  step,  and  the 
cloud  which  rose  as  the  column  moved  along  filled  their 
throats  and  eyes  and  nostrils,  yet  they  were  not  forced  to 
endure  the  misery  of  a  long  march  under  a  burning  sun, 
such  as  for  many  days  past  had  scorched  these  sandy 
plains. 

It  was  daylight  when  the  Sixth  corps  reached  the  James 
river  at  City  Point,  and  the  process  of  embarking  com 
menced  at  once.  Before  noon  the  two  divisions,  with  the 
horses  and  baggage,  were  on  board  transports,  which  were 
in  readiness  when  we  arrived.  The  staff  of  Bidwell's 
brigade,  with  the  Seventy-seventh  and  part  of  the  Forty- 
ninth  New  York,  with  the  brigade  band,  where  on  board 
the  steamer  Escort.  We  had  also  on  board  a  hundred 
horses. 

Great  satisfaction  was  felt  by  all  at  the  prospect  of 
leaving  the  region  whose  natural  desolation  was  height 
ened  by  the  devastation  of  war,  and  going  to  a  country 
of  plenty,  with  which  so  many  pleasant  remembrances 
were  associated.  Each  man  breathed  more  freely  as  the 
steamer  swung  out  upon  the  river,  and  our  brigade  band 
sounded  a  good-bye  to  the  scenes  of  our  recent  labors  and 
privations. 

Our  fleet  was  soon  steaming  down  the  river,  passing 
scenes  of  interest,  many  of  which  were  intimately  con 
nected  with  the  memories  of  other  campaigns.  There  was 
Harrison's  Landing,  the  camping  ground  of  two  years 
ago,  the  last  one  on  the  Peninsula,  where  our  Union  army 
crowded  together  on  the  banks  of  the  James,  sweltering 
beneath  the  oppressive  heat  of  a  southern  sun ;  Fort  Pow- 


372  FAMILIAR    SCENES. 

hattan,  where  we  had  crossed  the  river  on  pontoons  a 
month  ago ;  the  iron-clad  Atlanta,  once  a  rebel  ram,  now 
doing  service  in  the  Union  cause ;  the  ancient  settlement 
of  Jamestown ;  the  three-turreted  monitor  Roanoke ;  Sew- 
elPs  Point ;  Hampton,  the  scene  of  our  earliest  Peninsula 
experience ;  the  bay  at  Newport  News,  made  famous  by 
the  conflict  of  the  Monitor  and  Merrimac,  the  masts  of  the 
Cumberland  still  towering  above  the  waters  of  the  bay  as 
monuments  of  the  wonderful  contest ;  the  old  haunts  of 
the  Teaser,  which  had  so  unceremoniously  introduced  her 
self  to  our  division ;  and,  as  evening  came  on,  we  passed 
Fortress  Monroe,  where  the  many  lights  of  the  fleet  gave 
the  harbor  the  appearance  of  a  city  in  the  waves. 

The  wind  was  blowing  freshly  when  we  rounded  Old 
Point  Comfort,  and  our  little  steamer  ploughed  the  white 
caps  bravely.  We  made  good  time,  and  found  ourselves 
the  next  morning  steaming  up  the  Potomac.  Aquia  creek 
was  passed,  recalling  to  mind  the  encampment  at  White 
Oak  Church ;  Mount  Yernon  claimed  its  tribute  of  thought, 
and  at  two  o'clock  we  touched  the  wharf  at  the  foot  of 
Sixth  street,  Washington.  The  rest  of  the  two  divisions 
had  already  reached  the  wharves,  and  there,  too,  were 
some  immense  sea  steamers,  crowded  with  troops  of  the 
Nineteenth  corps,  fortunately  just  arrived  from  New 
Orleans. 

The  process  of  disembarking  occupied  but  little  time. 
President  Lincoln  stood  upon  the  wharf  chatting  familiarly 
with  the  veterans,  and  now  and  then,  as  if  in  compliment 
to  them,  biting  at  a  piece  of  hard  tack  which  he  held  in 
his  hand. 

The  column  was  formed  and  we  marched  up  Seventh 
street,  past  the  Smithsonian  Institute,  the  Patent  Office 
and  the  Post  Office,  meeting  on  our  way  many  old  friends, 
and  hearing  the  people  who  crowded  upon  the  sidewalks 
exclaiming,  "It  is  the  old  Sixth  corps  !  "  "Those  are  the 


ARRIVE    AT   WASHINGTON.  373 

men  who  took  Marye's  Heights  !  "  "  The  danger  is  over 
now  !  "  We  had  never  before  realized  the  hold  which  the 
corps  had  upon  the  affection  of  the  people.  Washington, 
an  hour  before  was  in  a  panic  ;  now  as  the  people  saw  the 
veterans  wearing  the  badge  of  the  Greek  cross  marching 
through  their  streets,  the  excitement  subsided  and  con 
fidence  prevailed. 

Thus  we  made  our  way  to  the  north  of  the  city,  the 
sound  of  cannonading  in  our  front  stimulating  and  hasten 
ing  the  steps  of  the  men.  Families,  with  a  few  of  their 
choicest  articles  of  household  furniture  loaded  into  wagons, 
were  hastening  to  the  city,  reporting  that  their  houses 
were  burned,  or  that  they  had  made  their  escape  leaving 
the  greater  part  of  their  goods  to  the  mercy  of  the  rebels. 

We  reached  a  fine  grove  in  rear  of  Fort  De  Russey  and 
made  our  bivouac  for  the  night. 

Now  we  learned  the  true  position  of  affairs.  Early, 
having  defeated  the  small  force  under  General  Wallace, 
pushed  on  toward  Washington,  carrying  destruction  in 
the  path  of  his  army.  His  cavalry  reached  Rockville,  a 
little  town  twelve  miles  north  of  Washington,  on  the 
10th,  detachments  having  destroyed  portions  of  the  Balti 
more  and  Ohio  railroad,  seized  trains  of  cars,  in  one  of 
which  was  General  Franklin,  formerly  commander  of  the 
Sixth  corps,  who  was  made  a  prisoner,  but  who  managed 
to  escape,  and  now,  as  we  reached  Washington,  his  advance 
was  knocking  at  the  defenses  of  that  city.  The  forts  were 
manned  by  a  small  force  of  heavy  artillery,  hundred  days' 
men,  and  detachments  of  the  Invalid  corps ;  and,  as  we 
reached  the  rear  of  the  defenses,  regiments  composed  of 
clerks  and  employes  of  the  quartermaster's  department, 
with  convalescents  from  the  hospitals,  marched  past  us  to 
take  their  places  on  the  front.  These  hasty  levies  were 
placed  in  the  forts  for  the  night,  to  be  replaced  by  veteran 
troops  in  the  morning. 


374  FORT     STEVENS. 

July  12th  came  bright  and  glorious.  The  First  brigade 
of  our  Second  division,  and  our  sharpshooters,  were  on 
picket  in  front  of  Fort  Stevens ;  the  Second  and  Third 
brigades  still  enjoying  the  delightful  shade  of  the  groves 
in  rear  of  Fort  De  Russey.  From  the  parapets  of  Fort 
Stevens  could  be  seen  the  lines  of  rebel  skirmishers,  from 
whose  rifles  the  white .  puifs  of  smoke  rose  as  they  dis 
charged  their  pieces  at  our  pickets.  The  valley  beyond 
the  fort  presented  a  scene  of  surpassing  loveliness,  with  its 
rich  green  meadows,  its  fields  of  waving  corn,  its  orchards 
and  its  groves.  To  the  right  was  Fort  Slocum,  and  on 
the  left  Fort  De  Russey. 

The  residence  of  Hon.  Montgomery  Blair  was  within 
the  line  occupied  by  the  confederates,  and  we  heard  that  the 
fine  mansion  had  been  the  scene  of  plunder  and  destruc 
tion,  in  revenge,  as  the  rebels  declared,  for  havoc  wrought 
by  our  troops  in  Virginia. 

The  principal  force  of  the  enemy  seemed  to  be  in  front 
of  Fort  Stevens,  and  here  it  was  determined  to  give  them 
battle.  The  barracks  just  in  rear  of  the  fort  were  con 
verted  into  a  hospital  for  our  Second  division,  and  all 
preparations  were  made  for  receiving  our  wounded  men. 

Four  o'clock  came,  but,  except  that  the  rebel  skirmish 
ers  were  sending  their  bullets  whizzing  over  the  fort,  all 
was  quiet.  President  Lincoln  and  his  wife  drove  up  to 
the  barracks,  unattended,  except  by  their  coachman,  the 
superbly  mounted  squadron  of  cavalry,  whose  duty  it  was 
to  attend  upon  his  excellency,  being  left  far  behind.  The 
carriage  stopped  at  the  door  of  the  hospital,  and  the  Presi 
dent  and  his  affable  lady  entered  into  familiar  conversa 
tion  with  the  surgeon  in  charge,  praising  the  deeds  of  the 
old  Sixth  corps,  complimenting  the  appearance  of  its  vet 
erans,  and  declaring  that  they,  as  well  as  the  people  of  the 
country,  appreciated  the  achievements  of  the  wearers  of 
the  Greek  cross. 


THE    ORDER    OF    BATTLE.  375 

Thus,  for  nearly  an  hour,  they  chatted  of  various  things, 
when  General  Wright  and  his  staif  arrived  on  the  ground, 
accompanied  by  several  ladies  and  gentlemen  from  the  city. 

All  now  repaired  to  the  fort,  and  presently  the  portly 
form  of  Colonel  Bidwell,  followed  by  his  Third  brigade, 
was  seen  approaching.  The  brave  colonel  and  his  brave 
brigade  marched  past  the  fort  into  the  valley  beyond,  the 
President,  the  members  of  his  cabinet  arid  the  ladies  prais 
ing  the  hardy,  soldierly  bearing  of  the  men  as  they  passed. 
They  formed  in  two  lines  of  battle,  in  rear  of  the  skirmish 
line  of  the  first  brigade,  the  Seventy-seventh  on  the  right 
of  the  line,  then  the  Seventh  Maine,  and  then  the  Forty- 
ninth.  The  Forty-third  New  York,  Sixty-first  Pennsyl 
vania,  and  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-second  New  York 
forming  the  second  line.  The  advance  line  was  in  charge 
of  Colonel  French. 

According  to  preconcerted  arrangements,  Colonel  Bid- 
well  was  to  signify  to  General  Wright,  who  remained  in 
the  fort,  his  readiness  for  the  attack  by  a  signal  from  the 
new  flag  of  the  Seventy-seventh,  which  had  not  yet  been 
baptized  in  battle ;  then  the  great  guns  in  the  fort  were  to 
open  a  storm  of  shells  upon  the  rebel  position,  especially 
upon  a  house  behind  which  and  in  which  numbers  of 
rebels  had  all  day  found  refuge;  then  General  Wright 
was  to  signal  from  the  fort  the  command  to  advance  and 
the  brigade  was  to  rush  to  the  charge. 

Thus,  with  a  perfect  understanding  on  the  part  of  all 
concerned,  the  brigade  took  its  place. 

The  flag  of  the  Seventy-seventh  waved  the  signal  of 
readiness,  the  heavy  ordnance  in  the  fort  sent  volley  after 
volley  of  thirty-two  pound  shells  howling  over  the  heads 
of  our  men  into  the  midst  of  the  rebels,  and  through  the 
house  where  so  many  of  them  had  found  shelter,  and  then 
at  the  command  of  Sedgwick's  "  man  of  iron,"  the  brave 
fellows  started  eagerly  forward.  They  reached  and  passed 


376  THE     BATTLE. 

the  skirmishers,  and  the  white  puffs  of  smoke  and  the 
sharp  crack  from  their  rifles  became  more  and  more 
frequent,  first  the  rattle  of  an  active  skirmish,  and  then 
the  continuous  roar  of  a  musketry  battle. 

In  magnificent  order  and  with  light  steps  they  ran 
forward,  up  the  ascent,  through  the  orchard,  through  the 
little  grove  on  the  right,  over  the  rail  fence,  up  to  the  road, 
making  straight  for  the  first  objective  point,  the  frame 
house  in  front.  The  rebels  at  first  stood  their  ground, 
then  gave  way  before  the  impetuous  charge. 

The  President,  the  members  of  his  cabinet  and  the 
ladies,  as  well  as  the  military  officers  in  the  fort,  and 
the  crowd  of  soldiers  and  citizens,  who  had  gathered 
about  it  to  witness  the  fight,  watched  with  breath 
less  interest  the  gallant  advance  as  our  boys  pushed 
forward,  keeping  their  line  of  battle  perfect,  except 
when  now  and  then  some  regiment  having;  the  advant- 

O  O 

age  of  ground,  in  its  eagerness  got  a  little  in  advance 
of  others,  until  they  saw  the  rebels  take  to  flight. 
Then  the  crowd  at  the  fort  rent  the  air  with  exultant 
cheers,  and  as  the  boys  reached  the  house,  the  people 
were  wild  with  excitement,  shouting  and  clapping  their 
hands,  leaping  and  dancing  with  joy. 

But  the  rebels  did  not  yield  without  resistance.  They 
met  our  men  bravely,  and  though  forced  to  seek  safety  in 
flight,  turned  and  poured  their  volleys  into  the  ranks  of 
the  pursuers. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Johnson,  commanding  the  Forty- 
ninth,  a  brave  man,  who  had  never  shrunk  from  danger, 
and  who  had  shared  all  the  varied  fortunes  of  the  brigade 
since  its  organization,  fell  mortally  wounded.  Colonel 
Visscher,  of  the  Forty-third,  who  had  but  lately  succeeded 
the  belcWed  Wilson,  was  killed.  Major  Jones,  command 
ing  the  Seventh  Maine,  was  also  among  the  slain ;  and 
Major  Crosby,  commanding  the  Sixty-first  Pennsylvania, 


THE   VICTOKY.  377 

who  had  but  just  recovered  from,  the  bad  wound  ho 
received  in  the  Wilderness,  was  taken  to  the  hospital, 
where  the  surgeon  removed  his  left  arm  from  the  shoulder. 
Colonel  French,  of  the  Seventy-seventh,  was  injured,  but 
not  seriously.  The  commanding  officer  of  every  regiment 
in  the  brigade  was  either  killed  or  wounded. 

The  fight  had  lasted  but  a  few  minutes,  when  the  stream 
of  bleeding,  mangled  ones,  began  to  come  to  the  rear. 
Men,  leaning  upon  the  shoulders  of  comrades,  or  borne 
painfully  on  stretchers,  the  pallor  of  their  countenances 
rendered  more  ghastly  by  the  thick  dust  which  had  settled 
upon  them,  were  brought  into  the  hospitals  by  scores, 
where  the  medical  officers,  ever  active  in  administering 
relief  to  their  companions,  were  hard  at  work  binding  up 
ghastly  wounds,  administering  stimulants,  coffee  and  food, 
or  resorting  to  the  hard  necessity  of  amputation. 

At  the  summit  of  the  ascent,  the  confederates  were 
strengthened  by  their  second  line  of  battle,  and  here  they 
made  a  stout  resistance  ;  but  even  this  position  they  were 
forced  to  abandon  in  haste,  and  as  darkness  closed  in  upon 
the  scene,  our  men  were  left  as  victors  in  possession  of  the 
ground  lately  occupied  by  the  rebels,  having  driven  their 
adversaries  more  than  a  mile. 

The  Vermont  brigade  now  came  to  the  relief  of  the  boys 
who  had  so  gallantly  won  the  field,  and  the  Third  brigade 
returned  at  midnight  to  the  bivouac  it  had  left  in  the 
morning.  But  not  all  returned.  Many  of  those  brave 
fellows  wllo  went  with  such  alacrity  into  the  battle,  had 
fallen  to  rise  no  more.  In  the  orchard,  in  the  road,  about 
the  frame  house  and  upon  the  summit,  where  the  rebels  had 
made  so  determined  a  resistance,  their  forms  were  stretched 
upon  the  green  sward  and  in  the  dusty  road,  stiff  and  cold. 
Many  more  had  come  to  the  hospital  severely  injured, 
maimed  for  life  or  mortally  wounded. 

The   little   brigade,  numbering  only  a   thousand   men 


378  OUR   FALLEN   FKIENDS. 

when  it  went  into  action,  had  lost  two  hundred  and  fifty 
of  its  number. 

During  the  night  the  raiders  made  their  escape  toward 
Rockville.  The  prisoners  left  in  our  hands  told  us  that 
they  had  anticipated  an  easy  victory  in  front  of  Washing 
ton,  believing  that  the  forts  were  defended  only  by  con 
valescents  and  quartermaster's  men,  and,  when  they  saw 
the  white  crosses  of  the  old  Sixth  corps,  they  were  seized 
with  consternation.  They  now  understood  that  the  city 
was  guarded  by  veterans  who  had  acquired,  in  the  rebel 
army,  a  disagreeable  reputation. 

While  the  battle  was  in  progress,  President  Lincoln 
stood  upon  the  parapet  of  the  fort  watching,  with  eager 
interest,  the  scene  before  him.  Bullets  came  whistling 
around,  and  one  severely  wounded  a  surgeon  who  stood 
within  three  feet  of  the  President.  Mrs.  Lincoln  entreated 
him  to  leave  the  fort,  but  he  refused ;  he,  however,  accepted 
the  advice  of  General  Wright  to  descend  from  the  parapet 
and  watch  the  battle  from  a  less  exposed  position. 

Cavalry  was  sent  in  the  morning  to  ascertain  the  direc 
tion  of  the  flight  of  the  enemy,  but  the  infantry  remained 
quietly  awaiting  events. 

We  gathered  our  dead  comrades  from  the  field  where 
they  had  fallen,  and  gave  them  the  rude  burial  of  soldiers 
on  the  common  near  Fort  Stevens.  None  of  those  high 
in  authority,  who  had  come  out  to  see  them  give  up  their 
lives  for  their  country,  were  present  to  pay  the  last  honors 
to  the  dead  heroes.  No  officer  of  state,  no  lady  of  wealth, 
no  citizen  of  Washington  was  there;  but  we  laid  them  in 
their  graves  within  sight  of  the  capital,  without  coffins, 
with  only  their  gory  garments  and  their  blankets  around 
them.  With  the  rude  tenderness  of  soldiers,  we  covered 
them  in  the  earth ;  we  marked  their  names  with  our  pencils 
on  the  little  head-boards  of  pine,  and  turned  sadly  away  to 
other  scenes. 


PATRIOTS'  GRAVES.  379 

Bat  though  no  concourse  of  citizens  followed  the  patriots 
to  their  humble  resting  place,  though  no  bands  wailed  the 
solemn  dirge,  and  no  casket  but  the  earth  inclosed  their 
remains,  their  deeds  were  not  forgotten.  Their  memory 
was  enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  the  people  ;  and  after  a  few 
weeks  their  remains  were  exhumed  from  their  scattered 
graves,  they  were  placed  together  in  a  little  inclosure  on 
the  sunny  slope  in  front  of  the  fort,  and  a  beautiful  monu 
ment  tells  the  story  of  their  noble  sacrifice. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE  SHENANDOAH  VALLEY. 

The  Sixth  and  Nineteenth  corps  follow  the  enemy— Crossing  the  Potomac  — 
Averill's  fight  at  Snicker's  Gap  — Return  of  the  Sixth  corps  to  Washing 
ton—March  back  to  Harper's  Ferry— Beturn  to  Maryland— Death  of  Major 
Ellis— General  Sheridan  assigned  to  command— Back  in  the  Valley  —  Charles- 
town—  John  Mosher— March  to  Fisher  Hill  — Beturn  to  Charlestown  —  Fight  at 
Charlestown. 

AT  one  o'clock  the  column  of  the  Sixth  corps  moved 
away  from  Fort  Stevens,  marching  through  the  little  vil 
lage  of  Tanleytown,  following  in  pursuit  of  the  rebels. 
We  moved  rapidly  till  ten  o'clock,  then  halted,  much 
fatigued,  at  Potomac  Cross  Roads.  At  five  o'clock,  next 
morning,  we  were  once  more  on  our  way,  and  after  a  march 
of  twelve  hours  through  a  pleasant  country,  we  made  our 
bivouac  at  Poolsville,  having  marched  thirty-six  miles 
since  leaving  Fort  Stevens.  Our  Sixth  corps,  with  the 
two  divisions  of  the  Nineteenth  corps,  now  constituted  a 
new  army,  under  command  of  General  Wright,  General 
Getty  having  command  of  the  Sixth  corps.  At  Poolsville 
we  lay  all  day,  waiting  for  our  small  cavalry  force  to  find 
out  the  course  which  Early's  army  had  taken,  but  on  Sat 
urday  morning,  the  16th,  we  were  moving  at  daylight. 
We  marched  toward  the  Potomac,  which  we  forded  near 
the  scene  of  Ball's  Bluff  slaughter.  The  spectacle  at  the 
ford  was  novel  and  exciting.  The  stream  was  wide,  but 
not  more  than  two  or  three  feet  deep.  The  bottom  was 
rough  and  stony,  and  the  current  was  strong.  For  nearly 
a  mile  up  and  down  the  river  the  brigades  were  crossing ; 
the  stream  filled  with  infantry  wading  with  difficult  steps 


CROSSING   THE   RIVER.  381 

over  the  uneven  bottom,  mounted  officers  carefully  guid 
ing  their  horses  lest  they  should  stumble,  trains  of  artillery 
and  wagons  slowly  toiling  through,  and  groups  of  pack 
animals  scarcely  able  to  keep  their  footing  under  their 
huge  burdens.  The  laugh  of  hundreds  sounded  up  and 
down  the  river,  as  some  unfortunate  footman,  slipping 
from  a  smooth  stone,  would,  for  a  moment,  disappear 
beneath  the  surface  of  the  river,  or  as  some  overloaded 
mule  or  pack  horse,  losing  his  footing,  would  precipitate 
his  load,  and  peradventure  the  small  negro  boy,  who,  in 
order  to  secure  a  dry  passage  across  the  ford,  had  perched 
himself  on  the  top  of  the  bags  and  bundles,  into  the  rush 
ing  waters. 

The  troops  gathered  upon  the  southern  bank  of  the 
river,  and  the  infantry  proceeded  to  empty  the  water  from 
.  their  boots  and  shoes,  and  to  wring  it  from  their  stockings. 
This  short  task  over,  the  march  was  resumed. 

Passing  through  a  section  where  some  very  interesting 
conglomerate  rocks  attracted  the  attention  of  those  scien 
tifically  inclined,  we  left  the  little  town  of  Leesburgh 
behind,  and  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  encamped  in  a 
ploughed  field,  tired  and  hungry,  and,  it  must  be  confessed, 
a  little  dissatisfied  at  the  idea  of  sleeping  on  ploughed 
ground  while  fresh  meadows  were  on  every  side  of  us. 
In  this  bivouac  we  spent  the  Sabbath,  and  services  were 
held  by  the  chaplains  in  the  various  brigades. 

Early  Monday  morning  the  march  was  resumed,  our 
little  army  passing  through  the  delightful  hill  scenery 
of  Loudon  county,  and  through  the  diminutive  villages  of 
Hamilton  and  Purcellyille.  As  the  afternoon  advanced, 
we  found  ourselves  toiling  up  the  ascent  of  the  Blue 
Ridge,  pleasant  farm  houses  and  fine  orchards  greeting 
our  sight  on  either  side  of  the  road.  Darkness  was  upon 
us  before  we  passed  through  Snicker's  Gap,  a  deep  gorge 
in  the  mountains,  through  which  winds  a  rough,  unkept 


382 

road;  and  by  the  moonlight  we  spread  our  blankets  for 
another  night's  rest. 

The  morning  revealed  the  lovely  Shenandoah  Valley 
spread  out  before  us,  its  river  lying  at  our  feet. 

The  troops  of  the  "  Army  of  Virginia,"  under  Averill, 
had  engaged  the  enemy  with  doubtful  success  before  our 
arrival.  Indeed,  the  troops  on  both  sides  seemed  to  have 
become  demoralized.  The  rebels  were  retreating,  and 
Averill's  men  had  made  their  way  back  to  the  east  side  of 
the  river  in  such  hot  haste  as  to  leave  some  of  their  flags 
floating  in  the  stream. 

We  remained  during  the  19th  in  apparent  uncertainty  as 
to  what  course  to  pursue,  whether  to  give  chase  to  the 
enemy,  who  it  was  now  supposed  had  made  good  his  retreat 
up  the  valley,  or  to  return  to  Washington.  But  an  order 
from  General  Grant,  directing  General  Wright  to  get  back 
to  Washington  at  once  with  the  Sixth  corps,  that  the 
troops  might  be  at  once  returned  to  the  Army  of  the  Poto 
mac  before  Early  could  reinforce  Lee,  determined  our 
course,  and  at  night  we  were  again  passing  through 
Snicker's  Gap,  the  infantry  and  teams  crowded  together  in 
the  narrow  defile  to  the  great  inconvenience  of  the  foot 
men  and  annoyance  of  the  artillerymen  and  teamsters. 
Marching  rapidly  all  night  and  the  next  day,  halting 
only  a  short  time  for  coifee  in  the  morning  and  at  noon, 
we  retraced  our  steps  to  Leesburgh,  then  following  the 
turnpike  we  reached  and  passed  Drainsville,  and  halted 
near  Difficult  creek.  July  23d,  the  corps  marched  through 
Lewinsville  and  Langley,  passed  Camp  Griffin,  the  memory 
of  which  was  indissolubly  connected  with  our  first  winter 
in  the  service,  crossed  Chain  bridge  and  went  in  camp  near 
Tanleytown,  five  miles  out  from  Washington. 

Transports  Avere  waiting  on  the  Potomac  to  convey  us 
to  City  Point,  but  as  matters  in  the  valley  still  seemed 
unsettled,  the  corps  remained  at  Tanleytown,  and  on  the 


STRAGGLING.  383 

25th,  it  became  certain  that  Early  with  his  army  was  again 
moving  down  the  valley,  threatening  Maryland  and  Penn 
sylvania.  The  Sixth  corps  received  orders  to  move  at 
once  toward  Harper's  Ferry,  but  by  some  delay  it  was 
noon  of  the  26th  when  it  turned  back  from  Tanleytown 
toward  the  scene  of  our  future  brilliant  operations. 

The  day  on  which  the  corps  moved  had  been  hot,  and 
many  of  the  men,  weary  with  long  marches,  had  been 
forced  to  fall  out,  but,  most  of  all,  bad  whisky  from 
Washington  had  demoralized  great  numbers,  and  these, 
with  the  sick  and  weary,  made  up  a  great  crowd  of 
stragglers.  The  task,  which  was  assigned  to  the  rear 
guard,  the  Seventy-seventh  New  York,  of  urging  these 
inebriated  and  discouraged  ones  toward  their  commands, 
was  not  an  easy  or  agreeable  one.  The  corps  made  all 
haste  in  the  direction  of  Frederick,  which  city  it  reached 
on  the  28th,  crossing  the  field  of  General  Wallace's  battle 
with  Early. 

Without  halting  at  Frederick,  except  to  get  our  coffee 
near  Monocacy  creek,  we  pushed  on  to  Jefferson,  getting 
into  camp  at  midnight.  The  next  day  we  marched  through 
Knoxville,  Newton  and  Sandy  Hook,  through  that  wonder 
ful  gorge  in  the  mountains  at  Harper's  Ferry,  and  arrived 
at  evening  footsore  and  weary  at  Halltown,  four  miles 
south  of  Harper's  Ferry.  Then,  next  day  we  were  ordered 
back  again.  The  whole  command  poured  into  the  deep 
valley  at  Harper's  Ferry,  the  day  was  sultry  even  for  that 
locality,  not  a  breath  of  air  seemed  to  be  stirring,  and  the 
high  mountains  on  every  side  reflected  the  heat  and  kept 
off  the  breeze.  Into  this  hot,  dusty  inclosure  among  the 
hills,  the  whole  army  poured,  and  as  there  was  only  a 
single  pontoon  bridge  to  serve  as  an  outlet,  there  was  of 
course  great  delay.  Horses  stood  harnessed  to  the  cannon 
or  under  the  saddle,  the  sweat  literally  pouring  off  their 
sides  like  rain,  while  men  panted  for  breath  and  seemed 


384 

almost  on  the  point  of  suffocation.  It  was  late  in  the 
night  when  our  corps  was  all  over  the  bridge,  and  the  march 
was  continued  without  rest  during  the  whole  night  and  all 
next  day  till  we  arrived  again  near  Frederick  City,  where 
we  had  a  night  and  a  day  of  rest.  We  now  learned  that 
the  cause  of  our  sudden  countermarch  was  the  raid  of 
Early's  cavalry,  who  had  burned  the  city  of  Chambers- 
burgh,  and  caused  much  destruction  of  property  elsewhere. 

By  this  time  the  Sixth  corps  was,  in  army  parlance, 
"about  played  out."  Even  our  famous  marches  on  the 
Gettysburgh  campaign  were  eclipsed  by  this  perpetual 
series  of  forced  marches  for  nearly  a  month.  The  men 
were  very  much  worn  from  their  campaigns  before  leaving 
Petersburgh,  but  now  we  had  had  a  month  of  traveling, 
night  and  day. 

Hardly  were  the  troops  settled  in  camp  for  a  night  of 
rest,  before  the  bugle  called  them  to  go  again.  Now 
when  we  marched,  horses  would  drop  clown  by  dozens 
along  the  road,  unable  to  rise  again.  Their  riders  would 
strip  them  of  their  saddles,  and  leave  the  worn  out  steeds 
to  their  fate.  If,  by  chance,  one  of  these  deserted  horses, 
after  a  few  hours  of  rest,  could  muster  strength  to  rise  to 
his  feet,  he  was  doomed  to  be  seized  by  some  drummer 
boy,  or  other  wight  of  the  "bummer"  tribe,  mounted  and 
rode  till  his  strength  again  failed.  Then  the  dismounted 
bummer  would  coolly  remove  his  hempen  bridle,  shoulder 
his  drum,  and  seek  for  another  steed.  For  two  or  three 
days  past  the  weather  had  been  excessively  hot,  and  men 
could  be  seen  lying  all  along  the  roadside,  as  we  marched, 
suffering*  from  sunstroke. 

O 

Wednesday,  August  3d,  the  Sixth  corps  marched  to 
Buckeystown,  a  little  village  on  the  Monocacy,  about  five 
miles  south  of  Frederick. 

The  different  brigades  of  the  corps  were  scattered  about 
on  the  hillsides  which  bounded  the  pleasant  valley  of  the 


DEATH    OF    ELLIS.  385 

Monocacy,  where  pure  fresh  air  was  in  abundance,  and 
the  men  gladly  availed  themselves  of  the  privilege  of 
bathing  in  the  delightfully  clear  waters  of  the  river.  For 
a  distance  of  nearly  two  miles  the  river  was  filled  with 
bathers  at  all  hours,  except  in  the  hottest  part  of  the  day 
and  in  the  night,  and  even  then  some  might  be  seen  enjoy 
ing  the  luxury  of  the  bath. 

At  Buckeystown  we  remained  two  days,  in  the  enjoy 
ment  of  a  pleasant  bivouac ;  yet,  as  though  no  place  was 
free  from  evil,  an  event  occurred  here  afflictive  to  our 
brigade  and  to  the  corps. 

Among  the  most  energetic  and  brave  officers  of  our 
Third  brigade,  was  Major  Ellis,  of  the  Forty-ninth  New 
York.  He  had  been  wounded  at  Spottsylvania  while  lead 
ing  a  charge  against  the  enemy  at  the  terrible  "  angle." 
A  ramrod  had  passed  through  his  left  arm,  and  bruised  the 
chest  near  the  heart.  He  was  taken  to  Fredericksburgh, 
from  whence  he  went  to  Washington,  and  thence  home. 
Returning  to  his  command  before  he  had  fully  recovered, 
he  was  advised  by  medical  officers  not  to  attempt  any  severe 
duty.  But  being  detailed  to  the  staff  of  General  Russell, 
commanding  the  First  division,  he  at  once  resumed  active 
military  duties.  On  these  recent  marches,  the  major,  weary 
of  inaction,  had  taken  command  of  a  body  of  men  who 
acted  as  additional  provost-guard  to  the  division. 

In  this  position  he  had  exhibited  his  usual  energy, 
though  it  was  thought  by  some  he  executed  his  duties 
with  too  great  severity.  Ever  since  receiving  his  wound, 
he  had  complained  of  severe  neuralgic  pains  in  the  region 
of  the  heart.  Except  that  this  pain  was  slightly  more 
acute  than  usual,  the  major  retired  to  his  tent  on  the  night 
of  the  3d,  in  his  accustomed  health. 

In  the  morning  he  sent  his  servant  from  the  tent  for  a 
moment,  and  when  the  man  returned  the  major  was  dead. 
An  autopsy  was  made  by  the  writer  of  these  pages,  in  the 
49 


386  THE   FUNEKAL. 

presence  of  about  twenty  of  his  professional  brethren.  A 
sharp  splinter  of  bone  from  one  of  the  ribs  was  found  with 
its  acute  point  piercing  vital  organs. 

The  funeral  display  was  the  most  imposing  ever  wit 
nessed  in  any  corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  We 
had  seen  military  pageants  on  a  large  scale,  but  nothing 
to  compare  with  this  in  its  solemn  sublimity. 

The  remains  were  laid  in  state  in  a  large  tent  near 
General  Russell's  head-quarters,  wrapped  in  a  silken  flag, 
and  the  tent  itself  was  draped  with  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 
Presently  the  major's  regiment,  the  Forty-ninth  New 
York,  came  as  mourners,  unarmed,  and  formed  in  two 
ranks  facing  each  other  near  the  tent.  Then  the  chaplain 
of  the  Forty-ninth,  led  in  a  short  religious  service,  very 
appropriate  and  very  impressive,  while  the  whole  of  the 
First  division  was  being  formed  in  two  parallel  lines 
facing  each  other,  and  about  eighty  paces  apart.  The 
service  over,  a  regiment  of  heavy  artillery  came  to  act  as 
escort.  The  remains,  inclosed  in  a  rude  coffin,  wrapped 
in  the  flag  under  which  he  had  so  often  fought,  were 
placed  in  an  ambulance,  and  the  funeral  cortege  began  its 
slow  march  through  the  long  lines  of  sunbrowned  veterans 
who  stood  on  either  side.  First  in  the  procession  was  the 
escort,  the  muskets  of  the  men  reversed,  preceded  by  a 
band  playing  a  solemn  dirge.  Then  the  ambulance  with 
the  remains,  the  major's  hat,  coat  and  sword  lying  upon  the 
coffin ;  then  his  riderless  horse,  saddled  and  bridled,  and 
led  by  a  servant;  then  the  regiment  as  mourners; 
and  finally  General  Russell  and  the  staff  of  the  First 
division  with  the  division  flag,  and  the  staffs  of  the  three 
brigades  of  the  division,  and  our  Third  brigade,  Second  divi 
sion,  each  with  its  flag,  with  a  large  concourse  of  officers, 
personal  friends  of  him  whose  remains  were  thus  honored. 

As  the  cortege  proceeded  with  slow  steps  between  the 
lines  of  soldiers,  they  stood  with  arms  presented,  and 


SHERIDAN   IN   COMMAND.  387 

the  colors  of  the  regiments  drooped  as  the  procession 
passed.  Thus  attended  the  remains  were  conveyed  to  the 
railroad  station,  three  miles  distant,  where  they  were 
placed  on  board  a  train  for  Washington. 

Lieutenant-General  Grant  visited  our  army  on  the  5th 
of  August,  and,  in  consultation  with  General  Hunter, 
determined  upon  a  course  for  our  future  operations.  So 
quietly  was  this  visit  of  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 
armies  made,  that  very  few  in  our  little  army  knew  of 
the  presence  of  General  Grant. 

Among  other  things  determined  upon  at  this  time  was 
a  change  of  commanders.  General  Hunter,  who  had 
commanded  the  "  Army  of  the  Shenandoah,"  with  credit 
to  himself  and  honor  to  our  arms,  was  to  be  relieved,  and 
General  Philip  S.  Sheridan,  who  had,  since  the  commence 
ment  of  the  spring  campaign,  commanded  the  cavalry 
corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  was  to  take  command 
of  all  the  forces  operating  against  Early.  The  depart 
ment  of  West  Virginia,  Washington,  Susquehanna  and 
the  Middle  Department,  were  to  constitute  the  "  Middle 
Military  Division,"  to  be  under  the  command  of  General 
Sheridan.  To  this  middle  military  division  the  Sixth 
corps  was  temporarily  assigned.  This  was  a  new  era  in 
the  history  of  that  corps.  Hitherto  it  had  been,  from  the 
beginning,  connected  with  the  noble  Army  of  the  Potomac. 
Its  history  and  its  fame  were  inseparably  connected  with 
the  history  of  that  army,  and  when  the  corps  had  come  to  the 
rescue  of  the  capital,  it  came  as  a  detachment  of  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac.  Now,  for  the  first  time,  the  corps  was  to 
be  identified  with  another  army.  But  great  as  was  the 
fame  and  honor  which  the  corps  had,  by  noble  deeds,  won 
for  itself,  it  was  now,  by  heroic  achievements  in  the  new 
field,  to  crown  itself  with  glories  even  more  dazzling  than 
those  in  its  proudest  days  in  the  old  army. 

We  were  ordered,  on  the  evening  of  the  5th,  to  march 


388  SHEKIDAN    IN    COMMAND. 

immediately.  The  troops  of  the  Sixth  corps  proceeded  at 
once  to  Monocacy  Junction,  where  they  took  cars  for 
Harper's  Ferry.  The  quartermasters,  and  hospital  trains 
followed  rapidly  by  the  wagon  roads. 

Troops  and  trains  reached  the  heights  beyond  Harper's 
Ferry  at  night,  and  on  the  following  morning  the  line  of 
battle  was  established  at  Halltown. 

General  Sheridan  now  assumed  command.  We  knew 
little  of  him  except  that  he  had  very  successfully  com 
manded  the  cavalry  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  for  the 
last  three  months,  but  we  were  satisfied  that  General  Grant 
trusted  to  his  generalship,  and  we  had  already  learned 
enough  of  General  Grant's  knowledge  of  human  nature  to 
place  confidence  in  the  general  of  his  choice. 

One  thing  pleased  us  at  the  start.  Our  new  general 
was  visible  to  the  soldiers  of  his  command;  wherever  we 
went  he  was  with  the  column,  inhaling  the  dust,  leaving 
the  road  for  the  teams,  never  a  day  or  two  days  behind  the 
rest  of  the  army,  but  always  riding  by  the  side  of  the  men. 
His  watchful  care  of  the  details  of  the  march,  his  interest 
in  the  progress  of  the  trains,  and  the  ready  faculty  with 
which  he  brought  order  out  of  confusion  when  the  roads 
became  blockaded,  reminded  us  of  our  lamented  Sedgwick. 
Another  feature  of  the  new  administration  pleased  us. 
When  the  head-quarter  tents  of  the  commander  of  the 
Middle  Military  Division  were  pitched,  there  was  one 
wall  tent,  one  wedge  tent  and  two  flies.  This  modest 
array  of  shelter  for  the  general  and  his  staff  was  in  happy 
contrast  with  the  good  old  times  in  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  when  more  than  eighty  six-mule  teams  were 
required  to  haul  the  baggage  for  head-quarters  of  the  army. 

At  Halltown  we  remained  for  a  few  days,  gaining  what 
we  so  much  needed,  rest.  The  air  was  delightfully  cool 
and  refreshing,  and  it  seemed  as  though  each  particular 
breath  was  laden  with  health  and  strength. 


389 

We  were  rejoiced  to  see  some  of  our  Army  of  the 
Potomac  cavalry  joining  us,  and  our  army  began  to  assume 
dimensions  which  filled  us  with  confidence.  We  had  now 
the  Sixth  corps,  General  Wright,  two  divisions  of  the 
Nineteenth  corps  under  General  Emory,  and  Hunter's 
"Army  of  Virginia,"  usually  called  the  Eighth  corps, 
under  command  of  General  Crook.  Our  cavalry  con 
sisted  of  Averill's  force  which  had  been  in  the  valley, 
and  we  were  now  receiving  two  divisions  from  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac,  one  in  command  of  General  Torbert,  the 
other  of  General  Wilson.  The  cavalry  force  was  soon 
afterward  organized,  with  General  Torbert  in  command 
of  the  whole  force,  and  Generals  Ouster,  Averill  and  Mer- 
ritt,  each  in  command  of  a  division. 

On  the  tenth  of  the  month  we  commenced  our  march  up 
the  Shenandoah  Valley.  No  sooner  had  the  sun  made  its 
appearance  above  the  Blue  Ridge  than  we  found  the  day 
to  be  most  intensely  hot.  Soldiers  were  falling  along  the 
roadside  in  great  numbers  overcome  with  the  heat,  and 
what  added  to  the  hardships  of  the  day's  journey  was  the 
want  of  water.  The  turnpike  along  which  we  marched 
was  parallel  with  a  fine  stream  of  water  on  either  side, 
but  the  water  was  so  far  distant  as  to  be  useless  to  the 
soldiers.  Yet  there  were  a  few  springs  and  wells  at  some 
distance  from  the  road  which  supplied  those  who  could 
leave  the  column. 

We  passed  through  Charlestown,  the  scene  of  the  trial 
and  execution  of  John  Brown.  There  was  the  court 
house  to  which  he  was  brought  on  his  couch  to  receive  his 
trial  for  treason,  and  there  the  jail  in  which  he  spent 
his  last  days,  and  from  which  he  was  led  to  execution. 
How  had  all  things  changed !  The  people  who  stood 
about  the  gallows  of  John  Brown,  and  gnashed  their 
teeth  in  their  bitter  hatred,  were  now  themselves  guilty 
of  treason.  The  court  house  was  in  ruins,  and  the  jail 


390  CHAELESTOW^. 

was  but  a  shell  of  tottering  walls.  The  town  also  had 
suffered  fearful  ravages  from  war,  and  now  a  Union  army 
was  marching  through  its  streets,  every  band  and  every 
drum  corps  playing  the  stirring  but  to  southern  ears  hate 
ful  air,  "  John  Brown's  body  lies  mouldering  in  the  grave," 
and  we  may  anticipate  our  narrative  to  say  that  whenever 
our  army  or  any  part  of  it  had  occasion  to  pass  through 
this  town,  the  bands  always  struck  up  this  air,  as  if  to 
taunt  the  inhabitants  with  the  memory  of  their  victim, 
and  played  it  from  one  limit  of  the  town  to  the  other. 
So  John  Brown  was  revenged  ! 

The  Shenandoah  Valley  has  been  often  called  the 
"  Garden  of  Virginia,"  and  truly  it  is  a  lovely  valley,  yet 
as  we  marched  along  we  could  see  but  little  cultivation. 
The  groves  of  oak  were  delightful.  Teams  with  wagons 
might  be  driven  anywhere  among  them.  But  the  fields 
were  mostly  desolate.  Here  and  there  a  field  of  corn  pro 
mised  a  medium  crop  if  left  to  ripen  untrodden  by  our 
army,  but  there  was  no  luxuriance  of  vegetation.  The 
mountains,  the  Blue  Ridge  on  one  side  and  the  North 
mountains  on  the  other,  rose  abruptly  from  the  valley  in 
parallel  lines,  and  looked  as  though  a  race  of  Titans  had 
been  at  war,  and  had  thrown  up  these  long  ridges  as 
breastworks  for  opposing  forces. 

A  little  beyond  Charlestown  was  a  lovely  meadow, 
lying  between  two  groves  of  oak.  At  the  further  end  of 
the  meadow  was  a  neat  white  cottage,  where  there  seemed 
more  comfort  than  we  had  seen  elsewhere  in  the  valley. 
The  place  was  away  from  the  direct  line  of  march,  and 
partly  concealed  by  the  groves. 

Those  who  left  the  column  were  furnished  by  the  family 
with  pure  sweet  water  from  a  well,  which  the  family 
asserted  was  sunk  by  order  of  General  Braddock.  Such 
places  were  so  rare  that  our  men  and  animals  suffered 
from  thirst.  Few  who  were  on  that  march  will  forget  a 


A   SPRING   BY   THE    WAYSIDE.  391 

spring  which  we  passed  near  the  close  of  that  day's  march. 
A  large  white  frame  house  stood  upon  an  elevation,  sur 
rounded  by  trees,  and  at  foot  of  the  elevation,  a  large 
spring,  under  the  shade  of  a  huge  willow,  and  surrounded 
by  other  trees.  The  water  gushed  out  from  a  fissure  in  the 
rock,  clear  as  crystal,  and  in  such  volume  that  a  large 
brook  was  formed  at  once.  Over  the  spring  was  the  usual 
"  spring  house."  Soldiers  filled  this  building,  covered  the 
great  rocks,  crowded  the  grove,  and  for  many  yards  around 
a  dense  mass  of  men  pressed  to  get  near  the  tempting 
fountain,  all  eager  to  fill  their  cups  and  canteens,  and  has 
ten  on  with  the  column.  No  one  can  know  with  what 
delight  the  soldiers  quaffed  the  sparkling  fluid  from  their 
sooty  coffee  pots,  who  has  not  suffered  the  torture  of 
extreme  thirst. 

We  halted  near  Clifton,  and  resumed  our  march  on  the 
following  morning,  to  suffer,  if  possible,  more  from  heat 
and  thirst  than  ever.  At  night  we  bivouacked  near 
Opequan  creek.  We  threw  ourselves  upon  the  grassy 
sward,  with  the  beautiful  canopy  of  heaven  with  its  mot 
tled  clouds  and  twinkling  stars  and  flying  meteors,  for  our 
tent.  For  many  of  us,  this  was  the  only  tent  we  had  slept 
under  since  leaving  Petersburgh,  and  we  were  satisfied 
with  it.  The  air  was  purer  and  the  breeze  fresher  than 
when  we  were  inclosed  by  canvas. 

Again,  on  the  morning  of  the  12th,  we  were  marching. 
We  passed  through  the  villages  of  Newtown  and  Middle- 
town,  and  halted  at  night  on  the  banks  of  Cedar  creek. 

We  were  startled  in  the  morning  by  the  announcement 
of  the  death  of  a  good  soldier.  John  Mosher  had 
marched  with  the  column  the  day  before,  but  owing 
to  the  overpowering  heat  was  obliged  to  fall  a  lit 
tle  behind.  Toward  evening,  finding  himself  too  much 
exhausted  to  walk  further,  he  applied  for  and  obtained 
permission  to  ride  in  an  ambulance  of  the  First  division. 


392  JOHN    MOSHER. 

During  the  night  he  was  found  to  be  dying.  The  kind 
hearted  surgeon  in  charge  of  the  hospital  of  the  First 
division,  Dr.  Crehore,  and  one  of  his  assistants,  spent  some 
hours  with  him,  using  every  means  to  restore  him,  but 
without  avail.  He  died  before  morning.  A  letter  in  his 
pocket  told  his  name  and  regiment.  We  made  a  grave 
near  Cedar  creek,  and  a  few  of  his  comrades  stood  around 
it  while  he  was  lowered  to  his  bed  of  earth,  wrapped  in 
his  blanket.  The  chaplain  offered  a  brief  prayer ;  his  fel 
lows  in  arms  fired  a  parting  salute,  and  we  left  him  to 
sleep  in  the  valley  where,  a  few  weeks  later,  some  of  his 
companions  were  to  rest  by  his  side. 

On  the  13th  all  the  troops  were  across  on  the  south  side 
of  Cedar  creek.  The  pickets  of  our  Second  division  occu 
pied  one  end  of  the  village  of  Strasburgh,  while  those  of 
the  enemy  held  the  other.  We  were  sure  that  we  must 
fight  here,  and  we  were  not  unwilling.  Our  cavalry  was 
scouting  on  the  flanks,  skirmishing  with  rebel  cavalry  and 
searching  for  a  way  to  outflank  Early's  army.  The  rebels 
held  a  position  of  great  strength,  and  to  make  a  direct 
assault  would  be  to  run  a  great  risk  of  a  repulse.  The 
walls  of  the  valley,  the  Blue  Ridge  and  the  North  Moun 
tains,  came  close  together  here,  and,  to  render  the  position 
stronger,  Fisher  Hill,  a  commanding  eminence,  a  promi 
nent  object  in  the  landscape,  to  be  seen  from  one  end  of 
the  valley  to  the  other,  rose  directly  in  our  front  and 
obstructed  our  passage.  Upon  the  declivities  of  this  hill 
the  enemy  had  planted  batteries  so  as  to  command  our 
approach  from  any  direction. 

We  remained  gazing  at  this  strong  position  till  night 
fall,  and  then  recrossed  the  river,  and  made  our  position 
strong  for  defense.  General  Sheridan  had  been  instructed 
by  General  Grant  not  to  bring  on  a  general  engagement 
unless  it  was  forced  upon  him.  General  Grant  regarded 
our  army  rather  as  one  of  defense  than  for  offensive  opera- 


393 

tions.  Should  we  suffer  defeat,  the  capital  and  the  rich 
fields  of  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland  woulcl  again  be  open 
to  the  rebels.  So  we  were  to  watch  their  movements  and 
hold  them  in  check,  but  we  were  not  to  risk  a  battle  with 
them. 

Meanwhile,  the  ubiquitous  Mosby  was  at  work  in  our 
rear,  at  Berryville,  with  a  band  of  guerrillas.  He  had 
made  a  bold  dash  upon  a  long  train,  belonging  principally 
to  the  cavalry,  and  guarded  by  almost  a  brigade  of  hund 
red  days'  men;  had  dispersed  the  inexperienced  guard, 
which  was  scattered  along  the  road  for  miles ;  had  cap 
tured  the  mules,  and  burned  the  wagons  and  supplies. 
Seventy-five  wagons  had  fallen  a  prey  to  the  adventurous 
bandit,  while  the  hundred  days'  men  had  made  good  their 
escape.  Old  men,  women  and  children,  joined  in  the  work 
of  destruction,  setting  fire  to  the  wagons,  and  carrying  oft' 
whatever  articles  they  could  easily  remove  from  them. 
Prisoners  whom  they  captured  were  murdered,  either  by 
Mosby's  band,  or  by  the  more  merciless  citizens,  and  left 
unburied. 

This  raid  upon  our  communications  led  General  Sheridan 
to  fear  a  more  general  advance  of  the  rebels  beyond  the 
mountains,  with  a  view  of  coming  with  force  upon  our  rear. 

So,  on  the  evening  of  Tuesday,  the  16th,  the  army 
marched  northward  down  the  valley  again.  All  night 
and  all  the  next  day  the  weary  march  was  kept  up.  We 
went  through  Winchester,  where  the  rebel  women  came 
out  by  hundreds  to  rejoice  at  our  retreat,  and  halted  on 
the  banks  of  the  Opequan  for  the  night.  Then,  when  the 
morning  came,  we  were  off  again,  and,  after  a  severe 
march,  formed  in  line  of  battle  a  mile  south  of  Charles- 
town. 

The  Jersey  brigade,  under  Colonel  Penrose,  was  left  as 
rear-guard  and  support  to  the  cavalry  on  the  retreat. 
At  Winchester  the  brigade,  flanked  by  cavalry,  made  a 
50 


394  FIGHT  AT  CHARLESTOWN. 

stand.  The  enemy  came  down  upon  the  brigade  in  large 
force,  handled  it  roughly,  and  sent  the  Jersey  boys 
through  the  town  in  confusion.  Their  resistance  had  been 
all  that  could  have  been  asked ;  but  the  brigade,  staunch  as 
it  was,  was  not  enough  for  the  force  that  came  against  it. 

Our  Sixth  corps  guarded  the  turnpike  leading  from 
Harper's  Ferry  to  Winchester.  On  the  left  of  the  pike, 
facing  southward,  was  our  Second  division,  and  on  the 
right  our  First  division. 

The  Eighth  corps  held  the  center  of  the  line,  and  the 
Nineteenth  corps  the  left,  its  flank  resting  on  Berryville. 

On  Sunday  morning,  the  21st  of  August,  our  cavalry 
was  driven  back  upon  the  infantry,  and  we  suddenly  dis 
covered  the  enemy  coming  down  upon  the  Sixth  corps  in 
three  heavy  columns.  With  scarcely  any  warning  we 
found  shells  pitching  into  our  camp  among  the  standing 
tents,  and  bullets  whistling  among  the  trees  that  afforded 
us  shelter  from  the  sun. 

The  corps  was  quickly  in  line,  the  tents  struck  and  every 
thing  in  fighting  trim.  Our  boys  received  the  onset  of  the 
rebels  with  cool  bravery,  giving  them  back  volley  for 
volley.  The  fight  was  kept  up  for  several  hours,  the 
Eighth  corps  being  but  slightly  engaged,  and  the  Nine 
teenth  corps  not  at  all.  Our  Second  division,  Sixth  corps, 
receiving  the  weight  of  the  attack.  Our  men  threw  up 
breastworks  along  the  front,  and  at  length  the  Vermont 
brigade  was  ordered  to  charge  upon  the  enemy.  The 
charge  was  executed  with  the  usual  brilliancy  and  fighting 
joy  of  that  brigade  and  the  confederates  were  glad  to 
leave  us  in  undisputed  possession  of  the  ground. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

BATTLE  OF  WINCHESTER. 

Encampment  at  Berryville  —  Leaving  camp  — The  advance  — Taking  position  — 
Advance  and  retreat  —  Death  of  Russell  — "I  know  they'll  run  "  —  Reminis 
cences—At  the  hospitals  — A  regiment  going  home  — "Why  don't  he  come." 

THE  rebels  Avere  repulsed ;  but  as  our  position  at  Charles- 
town  was  one  that  might  easily  be  flanked,  our  army  fell 
back  during  the  night  to  the  strong  position  at  Halltown, 
where  defensive  works  were  thrown  up,  and  again  we 
awaited  the  advance  of  the  enemy;  but  except  some 
skirmishing  on  the  left  of  the  line,  no  attack  was  ventured 
by  Early;  and  after  two  or  three  days  he  withdrew  to 
the  vicinity  of  Winchester,  and  established  his  line  along 
the  west  bank  of  Opequan  creek,  so  as  to  cover  the  three 
roads  leading  from  Martinsburgh,  from  Harper's  Ferry 
and  from  Berryville  to  Winchester.  We  followed  and 
established  our  line  on  the  east  side  of  the  creek,  and  some 
miles  from  it,  at  Berryville. 

Our  encampment  at  Berryville  was  one  of  the  most 
delightful  of  our  resting  places,  even  in  the  Shenandoah 
Valley.  We  passed  the  days  pleasantly,  strolling  or  riding 
among  the  groves  of  black  walnut,  visiting  among  the  vari 
ous  regiments,  amusing  ourselves  with  chess  and  books. 
Nothing  occurred  to  interrupt  these  pleasant  pastimes  and 
the  monotony  of  picket  duty  until  the  13th  of  September, 
when  the  Second  division  was  directed  to  make  a  recon- 
noissance  to  the  Opequan.  We  marched  to  the  creek  very 
early  in  the  morning,  found  the  enemy  in  force,  lost  a  few 
men  by  the  shells  from  the  rebel  batteries,  and  returned  to 
camp. 


386  LEAVING    CAMP. 

On  the  15th  our  army  was  visited  by  Lieutenant-General 
Grant.  The  story  of  his  visit  we  give  in  his  own  words : 

"I  left  City  Point  on  the  15th  to  visit  him  (General 
Sheridan),  at  his  head-quarters,  to  decide,  after  conference 
with  him,  what  should  be  done.  I  met  him  at  Charles- 
town,  and  he  pointed  out  so  distinctly  how  each  army  lay ; 
what  he  could  do  the  moment  he  was  authorized,  and 
expressed  such  confidence  of  success,  that  I  saw  there 
were  but  two  words  of  instruction  necessary  —  Go  in ! 
*  *  *  I  may  here  add  that  the  result  was  such  that  I 
have  never  since  deemed  it  necessary  to  visit  General 
Sheridan  before  giving  him  orders." 

Thus  the  two  armies  lay  face  to  face,  with  the  stream 
and  a  narrow  strip  of  country  between  them,  either  able 
to  bring  on  an  engagement  at  any  time.  The  quiet  was 
broken  on  the  morning  of  the  19th,  when  we  advanced  to 
win  the  first  of  that  series  of  brilliant  victories  which 
startled  Europe  and  America;  which  gave  to  our  little 
army  an  enviable  renown  among  the  armies  of  the  Union, 
and  established  the  reputation  of  our  chief  as  one  of  the 
foremost  generals  of  the  age. 

Early  had  taken  the  initiative.  On  Sunday  the  18th,  he 
had  sent  General  Gordon's  division  toward  Martin sburgh, 
with  orders  to  drive  out  the  Union  forces,  and  destroy 
the  government  property.  Gordon  was  met  by  AverilPs 
cavalry  and  driven  back  to  Drakesville.  Sheridan,  dis 
covering  the  mistake  made  by  Early  in  separating  his 
forces,  was  quick  to  avail  himself  of  the  advantage  of 
his  enemy's  blunder.  Orders  were  issued  to  move  at  once, 
but,  for  some  reason,  several  hours  elapsed  before  the  army 
was  ready. 

We  left  our  pleasant  camps  at  Berryville,  at  two  o'clock 
Monday  morning,  the  Sixth  corps  in  advance,  moving  in 
two  columns,  one  on  either  side  of  the  road,  the  ammuni 
tion  wagons,  artillery  and  ambulances  taking  the  pike. 


THE    ADVANCE.  397 

The  Third  brigade,  Second  division,  led  the  infantry.  The 
Nineteenth  corps  followed  the  Sixth,  marching  in  similar 
order,  its  infantry  in  the  fields  and  its  artillery  and  wagons 
on  the  pike,  while  Crook's  Kanawha  corps  moved  further 
to  the  south,  with  orders  to  connect  with  the  Sixth  corps 
at  Opequan  creek.  Two  divisions  of  cavalry,  under  Merritt 
and  Averill,  were  directed  to  amuse  the  enemy  near 
Bunker's  Hill,  and  draw  the  attention  of  the  rebel  gene 
rals  in  that  direction  as  much  as  possible.  It  was  the 
design  of  General  Sheridan  thus  to  amuse  the  enemy  on 
the  left  while  he  should  march  his  army  up  the  Berryville 
and  Winchester  pike,  strike  the  right  flank  of  Eaiiy's 
army,  and  by  a  sudden  and  unexpected  attack,  to  get  in 
the  rear  and  cut  off  the  retreat  of  the  rebel  forces.  By 
one  of  those  inexplicable  mistakes,  which  sometimes  upset 
the  plans  of  our  generals,  this  design  was  not  fully  real 
ized,  and  had  General  Sheridan  been  less  determined  and 
less  dashing,  he  might  have  abandoned  the  idea  of  attack 
ing  Early  at  all. 

At  five  o'clock  Wilson's  cavalry  had  crossed  the  creek 
before  us,  having  dispersed  the  pickets  of  the  enemy, 
driving  them  back  to  their  line  of  field  works,  and  then, 
by  a  dashing  charge,  had  leaped  their  horses  over  the 
breastworks  of  the  first  line  of  defenses,  and  routed 
the  rebels,  capturing  about  fifty  of  their  number. 

Immediately  after  this  gallant  exploit  of  the  cavalry,  the 
Sixth  corps  crossed  the  creek  and  advanced  on  the  turnpike 
about  a  inile,  where  the  enemy  was  found  in  force.  As  we 
moved  along,  through  the  deep  ravine,  following  the  pike, 
we  were  warned  of  the  active  work  we  might  expect  in 
front,  as  we  saw  cavalrymen  coming  to  the  rear,  some 
leading  their  wounded  horses,  others  with  their  heads 
bound  in  bloody  handkerchiefs,  some  with  arms  hanging 
in  slings,  others  borne  on  litters.  Here  by  the  roadside 
might  be  seen  the  prostrate,  lifeless  form  of  some  soldier 


398  TAKING    POSITION. 

of  the  Union ;  there,  where  a  silvery  brook  babbled  along 
across  the  pike,  on  its  grassy  banks,  and  beneath  the 
shadow  of  a  large  tree,  was  gathered  a  little  group  of 
boys  in  blue,  performing  the  last  acts  of  kindness  to  a 
comrade  in  whom  the  vital  spark  Avas  almost  extinguished, 
and  a  surgeon  bending  over  the  dying  soldier  striving  to 
render  less  painful  the  few  lingering  moments  of  life. 

We  moved  up  a  steep  ascent  and  formed  in  line  of  battle 
in  a  cornfield ;  the  Third  brigade  on  the  left,  the  First  in 
the  center,  and  the  Vermonters  on  the  right ;  then  on  the 
left  of  the  Second  division  the  Third  division  got  into  posi 
tion,  and  the  First  division  came  up  in  the  rear  as  reserve. 
Our  artillery  was  brought  into  position  and  a  vigorous 
shelling  commenced  on  both  sides. 

The  Sixth  corps  was  now  ready  for  a  charge  upon  the 
enemy,  but  it  was  discovered  that,  by  some  misconception 
of  orders,  the  Nineteenth  corps,  which  should  have  been  on 
the  ground,  was  left  far  behind.  Orders  were  dispatched 
to  hasten  it  to  the  field  of  action,  but  two  hours,  precious 
hours  to  that  army,  elapsed  before  it  was  in  position. 

Those  two  hours  of  delay  enabled  Early  to  strengthen 
his  right ;  to  throw  up  strong  earthworks,  and  bring  Gor 
don's  division  on  the  run,  to  his  assistance.  We  had  been 
fortunate  only  in  seizing  the  position  on  the  west  side  of 
the  stream,  or  the  battle  would,  from  this  delay,  have  been 
worse  for  us. 

Merritt  and  Averill,  by  skillfully  maneuvering  their 
troops  in  front  of  Bunker's  Hill,  had  enabled  us  to  seize 
this  advantage. 

The  Nineteenth  corps  was  formed  on  the  right  of  the 
Sixth,  in  four  lines  of  battle  ;  Wilson's  cavalry  was  on  our 
left.  It  was  eleven  o'clock  when  the  advance  was  sounded. 
In  our  front  were  undulating  fields,  traversed  by  deep 
ravines,  almost  stripped  of  timber,  except  where  the  rebels 
had  formed  their  line  of  battle  in  a  belt  of  woods  that 


ADVANCE  AND  EETEEAT.  399 

skirted  the  turnpike.  It  was  an  imposing  spectacle  to 
watch  that  line  of  battle,  stretching  three  miles  across  the 
fields,  as  it  moved  toward  the  rebel  lines,  the  men  as  com 
posed  as  though  on  parade,  the  line  straight  and  compact, 
the  various  division,  brigade  and  regimental  flags  floating 
gaily  in  the  sunlight.  Away  in  our  front  we  could  see 
Winchester ;  its  gleaming  spires  and  shining  roofs,  bright 
with  the  warm  glow  of  mid-day,  and  we  proudly  felt  that 
before  night  it  would  be  ours.  Onward,  through  the  corn 
fields  and  over  the  grassy  knolls,  now  descending  into  a 
ravine  and  now  rising  upon  the  open  plain,  w*here  the 
rebel  artillery  swept  with  terrible  effect,  the  long  line 
pressed  forward,  regardless  of  the  destructive  fire  that 
constantly  thinned  our  ranks.  At  every  step  forward, 
men  were  dropping,  dropping ;  some  dead,  some  mortally 
hurt,  and  some  with  slight  wounds.  Now  on  this  side, 
now  on  that  they  fell ;  still  the  line  swept  forward,  leaving 
the  ground  behind  it  covered  with  the  victims. 

Thus  we  pushed  onward,  the  rebels  falling  back,  desper 
ately  disputing  every  step,  when  a  murderous  fire,  from 
batteries  which  the  enemy  had  skillfully  placed,  suddenly 
swept  our  right  with  fearful  slaughter. 

Thus  far  all  had  gone  well.  Now  our  hearts  were  sick 
as  we  looked  far  to  the  right  and  saw  the  Nineteenth 
corps  and  our  Third  division  falling  back,  back,  back,  the 
grape  and  canister  of  the  hostile  cannon  crashing  through 
the  now  disordered  ranks,  and  the  exulting  rebels  follow 
ing  with  wild  yells  of  victory. 

The  retreat  of  the  troops  on  the  right  of  the  Second 
division  left  its  flank,  held  by  the  Vermonters,  exposed, 
and  they,  too,  were  forced  to  fall  behind  the  Third  brigade, 
which  still  held  its  ground,  the  fire  in  its  front  being  at 
the  moment  less  severe.  Our  batteries  were  rushed  for 
ward,  and  the  gallant  First  division,  the  noble  Russell  at 
its  head,  came  bravely  up  to  the  rescue. 


400  DEATH    OF    KUSSELL. 

As  the  noble  soldier  brought  his  division  into  position  a 
cannon  ball  swept  him  from  his  horse  —  dead.  A  great 
spirit  had  fallen,  and  in  a  moment  we  were  made  an  army 
of  mourners.  "  I  have  lost  my  captain,"  said  Sheridan,  as 
the  work  of  the  day  closed. 

We  all  remembered  the  modest,  almost  bashful,  demeanor 
of  the  fallen  general  among  his  friends,  and  his  glorious 
heroism  in  the  presence  of  his  enemies,  and  many  tears 
moistened  the  brown  cheeks  of  rough  soldiers  as  they 
thought  of  the  loss  of  one  of  our  best  beloved  leaders. 

But,  notwithstanding  the  loss  of  their  hero,  the  brave 
division  pushed  straight  on.  Nothing  could  withstand 
them;  and  now,  joined  by  the  other* troops  of  the  corps, 
the  boys  with  the  red  crosses  press  on,  and  as  the  peals  of 
musketry  and  artillery  roll  through  those  valleys,  it  tells 
of  victory  for  the  Union.  The  lost  ground  is  regained, 
and  now  the  fire  in  front  of  the  Sixth  corps  slackens. 

We  rested,  throwing  ourselves  on  the  ground,  waiting 
for  orders.  Some  of  the  men,  fatigued  from  the  early 
inarch  and  severe  morning's  work,  slept;  while  others 
regaled  themselves  from  their  well  filled  haversacks ;  and 
many  gathered  in  groups  to  talk  over  the  doings  of  the 
morning,  and  to  speak  of  those  who  had  been  stretched 
upon  the  sod,  who  had  fallen  with  their  faces  to  the  foe. 

We  were  waiting  for  Crook's  corps.  It  had  halted  on 
the  eastern  bank  of  the  river  as  reserve  for  the  army. 
Now  it  was  brought  forward  at  quick  pace  and  placed,  a 
part  on  the  right  of  the  Nineteenth  corps,  where  the  rebels 
could  be  seen  massing  troops  on  their  left,  with  a  view  of 
turning  our  right  flank,  the  other  part  in  rear  of  the  Nine 
teenth  corps.  Averill  and  Merritt,  too,  were  with  the 
army,  and  our  whole  force  was  together.  It  was  nearly 
three  o'clock  when  Crook's  forces  were  brought  into  posi 
tion.  His  right  was  in  a  thick  forest,  and  against  him 
were  heavy  columns  of  rebels. 


401 

At  length  we,  of  the  Sixth  corps,  heard  rapid  firing  away 
on  the  right  of  the  forest.  All  was  attention.  Every  man 
stood  to  his  arras  ready  to  advance.  Sheridan  came  to  our 
part  of  the  line.  His  face  all  aglow  with  excitement,  the 
perspiration  rolling  down  his  forehead,  his  famous  black 
steed  spotted  with  white  foam,  a  single  orderly  at  his  back. 
He  rode  straight  to  General  Getty,  exclaiming,  "  General, 
I  have  put  Torbert  on  the  right,  and  told  him  to  give  'em 
h — 1,  and  he  is  doing  it.  Crook,  too,  is  on  the  right  and 
giving  it  to  them.  Press  them,  General,  they'll  run ! " 
and  then,  using  one  of  those  phrases  sometimes  employed  in 
the  army  to  give  additional  force  to  language,  he  shouted 
again,  "  Press  them,  General,  I  know  theifll  run  !  "  And 
then  the  shout  that  went  up  from  the  men  drowned  all  the 
other  noise  of  the  battle. 

We  did  press  them,  and  they  did  run.  Over  the  long 
stretch  of  open  plain,  down  into  the  deep  hollow,  up  again 
and  over  the  rolling  ground,  past  the  white  farm  house, 
on  we  went.  The  rebels  would  run,  then  reaching  a  com 
manding  position,  they  would  turn  their  artillery  upon  us 
and  sweep  our  line  with  iron  hail.  On  our  left  was  Wil 
son,  with  the  cavalry  charging  through  the  growing  corn, 
the  sabres  gleaming  in  the  sunlight,  the  iron  scabbards 
clanging  against  iron  spurs,  the  horses  dashing  madly 
forward  in  seeming  disorder,  but  all  rushing,  like  an  ava 
lanche,  against  the  right  wing  of  the  enemy.  Now  the 
retreat  became  a  rout.  The  cheers  of  the  Union  boys  rose 
strong  and  clear  above  the  roar  of  artillery  and  the  harsh 
rattle  of  musketry,  and  Early's  scattered  and  demoralized 
divisions  were  rushing  through  Winchester  in  consterna 
tion  and  unutterable  confusion.  Frightened  teamsters  were 
lashing  their  animals  through  the  streets  in  greatest  alarm  ; 
riderless  horses  were  galloping  here  and  there,  and  pack 
mules  were  on  a  general  stampede.  Some  streets  became 
entirely  blocked  up  by  the  disordered  mass,  and  even  foot- 
51 


402  REMINISCENCES. 

men  could  not  press  through ;  a  squad  of  cavalry  coming 
to  one  of  these  obstructions  leaped  from  their  horses  and 
made  their  escape  on  foot.  Our  cavalry,  taking  advantage 
of  the  confusion,  rushed  among  the  panic  stricken  fugitives 
and  gathered  hundreds  of  them ;  captured  fifteen  battle- 
flags  and  five  guns. 

The  remnants  of  the  rebel  army  collected  some  miles 
beyond  the  town,  and  reformed;  but  after  a  short  rest 
made  haste  to  get  farther  up  the  valley.  As  we  advanced 
we  found  the  mountains  full  of  fugitives,  and  in  the  town 
were  thousands  of  their  wounded. 

The  infantry  halted  upon  the  high  grounds  at  the 
borders  of  the  town,  leaving  the  cavalry  to  follow  up 
the  pursuit  of  the  flying  foe ;  and  as  Generals  Sheridan, 
Wright,  Emory  and  Crook  rode  along  our  front,  we  made 
the  welkin  ring  with  lusty  cheers.  Glorious  leaders  of  a 
victorious  army ! 

At  our  feet  was  Winchester,  the  scene  of  Washington's 
early  military  experience.  Here  he  was  stationed  during 
the  French  war,  and  shared  in  the  perilous  sentinelship 
of  the  frontier.  For  then  the  valley  was  ravaged  by 
French  and  Indians,  and  fearful  massacres  were  of  fre 
quent  occurrence;  and  when  Washington  demanded  of 
Governor  Dinwiddie  reinforcements,  and  was  refused,  he 
offered  to  resign ;  and  when  the  governor  could  not  allow 
him  to  resign  he  sent  him  men. 

Here,  on  the  ground  occupied  by  the  Seventy-seventh 
New  York  regiment,  near  the  ruins  of  an  old  church,  was 
the  grave  of  General  Daniel  Morgan,  the  hero  of  Quebec 
and  Saratoga,  the  friend  of  Washington.  A  plain  marble 
tablet,  broken  across,  now  covered  the  grave,  with  a  simple 
inscription,  his  name  and  the  date  of  his  death,  1802. 

In  the  cemetery,  still  north,  we  saw,  as  we  passed,  the 
resting  place  of  Thomas,  Earl  of  Fairfax ;  a  great  tory  in 
his  day,  and  the  owner  of  immense  tracts  of  land  in  this 


AT   THE    HOSPITALS.  403 

part  of  Virginia,  and  from  whom  Fairfax  county  took  its 
name. 

The  sun  had  sunk  to  his  golden  rest  behind  the  wall 
of  hills  on  our  left  when  we  arrived  at  the  outskirts  ol 
Winchester;  and,  as  darkness  set  in,  the  infantry  of  oui 
victorious  army  stretched  themselves  upon  the  ground  to 
sleep.  It  had  been  a  hard  day's  work,  and  the  men  were 
faint.  It  required  no  unusual  inducements  to  woo  the  angel 
of  sleep. 

If  the  day  had  been  an  active  one  on  the  field,  it  had  been 
no  less  so  in  the  hospitals.  First,  early  in  the  morning,  came 
ambulance  loads  of  men  with  white  crosses ;  they  were  from 
the  Third  brigade,  Second  division,  all  from  the  Seventy- 
seventh  N"ew  York.  Then  came  others  from  the  Forty-ninth 
New  .York,  from  the  Seventh  Maine,  and  from  the  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-second  and  Forty-third  New  York. 
Then  came  men  from  the  Vermont  brigade,  and  from  our 
First  brigade,  and  soon  the  hospitals  of  the  Third  division 
began  to  be  filled.  Then,  last  of  all,  came  the  men  of  the 
red  crosses,  bleeding  and  mangled.  Surgeons  worked  all 
day  and  all  night.  There  was  no  rest  as  long  as  a  wounded, 
man  was  uncared  for.  Yet,  when  morning  came,  and  the 
medical  officers  were  ordered  forward  with  the  army,  there 
was  much  to  do,  and  faithful  men  were  left  to  finish  the 
needful  task.  Next  morning  Winchester  was  full  of  rebel 
wounded  and  rebel  prisoners.  Five  thousand  men  in  gray 
were  under  guard  in  the  court  house  yard  and  other  public 
places,  and  Colonel  Edwards'  brigade  of  the  First  division 
was  left  to  take  care  of  the  prisoners  and  the  town.  Many 
brave  men  had  fallen.  Russell  was  gone ;  the  gallant  Upton 
was  wounded ;  Colonel  Elright,  of  the  Third  division,  was 
dead,  and  many,  many  brave  boys  were  lying  with  their 
blackened  faces  to  the  sun,  a  slip  of  paper  or  a  letter 
envelope  pinned  to  the  breast  of  each  to  tell  the  buriers 
his  name  and  regiment. 


404 


A    KEGIMENT    GOING    HOME. 


The  term  of  service  of  one  of  our  regiments,  the  Fourth 
Vermont,  had  expired,  and  on  the  day  after  the  battle  the 
small  remnant  of  the  regiment,  a  company  of  about  forty 
men,  under  command  of  Colonel  Foster,  started  for  Har 
per's  Ferry,  on  their  return  home.  They  had  suffered 
heavily,  and  they  left  many  of  their  brave  comrades  dead 
upon  the  battle-field,  or  suffering  in  the  hospitals.  How 
had  those  noble  boys,  whose  lives  had,  at  the  very  expira 
tion  of  their  three  years  of  toil,  danger  and  privations,  been 
given  for  their  country,  rejoiced  at  the  prospect  of  a  speedy 
reunion  with  the  loved  ones  at  home.  How  had  they 
written,  even  the  day  before  the  battle,  "  we  are  going 
home ! "  and  then  how  had  the  loving  ones,  away  among 
the  beautiful  green  hills  of  Vermont,  exulted  at  the  thought 
that  now,  after  three  long  years  of  suspense  and  anxiety, 
the  danger  and  toil  were  over.  And  we  can  picture  to 
our  thoughts  the  mother  who  watches  with  eager  interest 
the  smoking  train  as  it  dashes  along  at  the  base  of  the  old 


"WHY  DON'T  HE  COME?" 


"WHY  DON'T  HE  COME?"  405 

hills,  wondering  if  her  patriot  son  will  not  come  to-day ; 
but  instead,  a  letter  conies  with  the  heavy  news,  a  great 
battle  has  been  fought  and  her  son  lies  in  the  Valley  ;  or, 
on  the  banks  of  the  sunny  Champlain,  some  young  sister 
or  lover  gazes  from  the  window  of  the  cottage  among  the 
trees,  at  the  steamer  as  it  glides  over  the  surface  of  the  beau 
tiful  lake  and  touches  at  the  wharf  near  by.  But  her  soldier 
boy  is  not  on  board,  and  she  watches  in  vain  to  see  his 
familiar  form  coming  toward  the  cottage.  She  sadly  leans 
her  head  upon  her  hand  and  sighs,  "  Why  don't  he  come?" 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

FISHER  HILL. 

March  up  the  valley— Strasburgh— The  army  confronting  Fisher  Hill— The 
flank  movement— Flight  of  Early— The  pursuit— Guerrilla  warfare— Southern 
refugees— Starting  for  Washington— Beturn  to  Cedar  creek. 

WE  started  very  early  in  the  morning  in  pursuit  of 
Early's  defeated  army,  which  it  was  supposed  would  halt 
at  the  strong  position  at  Strasburgh.  On  the  battle-field 
which  we  left,  the  lifeless  bodies  of  many  of  our  men 
were  awaiting  the  office  of  the  burial  parties.  They  lay, 
not  in  thick  clusters,  but  here  and  there  over  a  great 
extent  of  ground,  showing  that  they  had  fallen  while  the 
lines  were  in  motion ;  but  in  places,  six  or  eight  mangled 
bodies  would  lie  in  close  proximity,  showing  the  fatal 
effects  of  some  well  directed  shell. 

In  Winchester  were  nearly  five  thousand  prisoners,  and 
more  were  constantly  coming  in,  and  hundreds  of  rebel 
wounded  were  being  cared  for  by  sympathizing  friends 
and  confederate  surgeons. 

We  reached  the  vicinity  of  Strasburgh,  the  Sixth 
corps  in  advance,  at  three  o'clock  on  the  20th,  and,  as  we 
expected,  found  the  rebels  awaiting  us  in  a  position,  which 
the  citizens  of  the  valley  assured  us  could  be  held  by 
Early's  army  against  one  hundred  thousand  men.  The 
position  was  indeed  a  formidable  one,  but  nothing  daunted 
our  spirited  leader  set  about  devising  a  way  of  taking  it. 

At  Strasburgh  the  two  chains  of  mountains,  the  Blue 
Ridge  and  the  Alleghanies,  approach  each  other,  making 
the  valley  quite  narrow.  As  if  to  interpose  an  impassable 


THE    ARMY    BEFORE    FISHER    HILL.  407 

barrier  to  the  advance  of  an  array,  a  mountain,  Fisher 
Hill,  stretches  across  from  the  Blue  Ridge  to  the  branch 
of  the  Alleghanies  called  the  North  Mountains.  At  the 
foot  of  this  mountain,  on  the  north,  is  the  village  of 
Strasburgh,  and  still  north  of  Strasburgh  Cedar  creek 
runs  almost  directly  across  the  valley.  We  took  posses 
sion  of  the  northern  part  of  the  village  of  Strasburgh, 
the  Union  pickets  occupying  one  part  of  the  town,  and  the 
rebels  the  other.  The  night  passed  with  little  of  interest. 

On  the  morning  of  the  21st  squads  of  rebel  prisoners 
were  coming  in  to  army  head-quarters,  and  as  brigade 
after  brigade  of  cavalry  passed,  each  carrying  a  large 
number  of  confederate  flags  at  the  head  of  the  column,  it 
looked  as  though  our  cavalry  had  adopted  the  confederate 
banner  and  had  paraded  in  gala  day  splendor. 

The  mists  and  fogs  melted  away,  and  we  discovered 
that  our  enemy,  lately  routed  and  disorganized,  now  with 
confidence  confronted  us  and  awaited  our  advance.  Dur 
ing  the  night  the  mountain  had  been  the  scene  of  busy 
labors,  and  now,  breastworks  of  earth  and  stones,  and 
lines  of  troublesome  abattis,  rendered  the  position,  so 
strong  by  nature,  apparently  too  formidable  for  any  army 
to  attempt  to  force.  But,  notwithstanding  the  brilliant 
success  at  "Winchester,  neither  the  rebel  army  nor  our  own 
fully  appreciated  the  fertile  resources  of  our  gallant  leader. 
Starting  with  his  staif  early  in  the  day,  he  rode  from  one 
end  of  the  picket  line  to  the  other,  carefully  noting  the 
character  of  the  ground. 

To  attempt  to  storm  those  heights,  now  strengthened 
with  earthworks  and  bristling  with  cannon,  would  be  pro- 
sumptuous  ;  but  away  on  the  right  seemed  the  vulnerable 
point  of  the  enemy's  line.  Returning  to  his  quarters, 
Sheridan  determined  at  once  upon  his  plan  of  attack.  The 
Nineteenth  corps  was  thrown  farther  to  the  left,  and  our 
Sixth  corps  occupied  the  position  in  the  center,  facing  now 


408  THE   FLANK   MOVEMENT. 

to  the  south.  Crook's  corps  was  thrown  well  to  the  right, 
where  the  North  Mountain  formed  a  precipitous  wall  for 
the  valley.  All  day  the  sharp  crack  of  the  skirmishers' 
rifles,  and  the  ring  of  the  pioneers'  axes  were  heard  as  the 
two  lines  faced  each  other,  each  watching  the  movements 
of  the  other,  and  each  actively  engaged  in  felling  trees 
from  which  breastworks  were  made. 

During  the  night  Crook's  corps  and  our  Third  division 
were  toiling  along  the  side  of  the  mountain  unseen 
and  unexpected  by  the  rebels.  All  night  and  the  follow 
ing  morning  these  two  commands  labored  to  drag  artillery 
along  the  precipitous  mountain  side,  executing  every 
movement  in  silence  and  with  utmost  secrecy.  The  Nine 
teenth  corps  and  the  First  and  Second  divisions  of  the 
Sixth  were  all  this  time  keeping  up  a  show  of  determina 
tion  to  attack  in  front. 

At  length,  just  as  the  sun  was  sinking  behind  the 
mountain  barrier,  a  wild  shout  was  heard  from  the  hill 
side  where  Crook's  corps  and  our  Third  division  were 
rushing  down  from  the  cover  of  the  forest,  upon  the 
flank  and  rear  of  the  astonished  confederates.  The  shout 
was  taken  up  by  the  troops  in  front,  and  at  the  same 
time  the  two  remaining  divisions  of  the  Sixth  corps  and 
the  Nineteenth  corps  advanced  against  the  rebel  front. 
Completely  surprised  by  the  movement  on  the  flank,  the 
rear  of  the  rebel  army  was  quickly  thrown  into  a  panic. 
Still  resistance  was  kept  up  along  the  front.  Steadily  the 
troops  of  Wright  and  Emory  pressed  forward,  the  rebel 
gunners  firing  their  shells  over  the  heads  of  our  men,  our 
line  advancing  over  ditches  and  fences,  over  fallen  trees 
and  stone  walls,  each  man  his  own  commander  and  each 
pressing  eagerly  forward.  In  the  foremost  line  rode  Phil. 
Sheridan,  the  men  cheering  him  lustily  as  they  pressed 
hastily  forward.  "  Let  us  take  the  guns,"  shouted  the 
men;  and  forward  at  double-quick  they  rushed.  The 


THE    PURSUIT.  409 

panic  in  the  rear  had  by  this  time  reached  the  front,  and 
the  whole  rebel  army  was  rushing  in  unutterable  confusion 
and  rout,  up  the  valley.  They  left  with  us  sixteen  guns, 
of  which  Bidwell's  brigade  captured  six.  We  gathered 
up  the  prisoners,  and  they  numbered  eleven  hundred.* 
The  hill  was  strewed  with  small  arms,  and  cannon  and 
caissons  met  our  view  wherever  we  passed. 

We  had  lost,  as  the  cost  of  this  brilliant  victory,  less 
than  forty  men  in  the  army ;  and  the  confederate  loss  in 
killed  and  wounded  was  scarcely  greater. 

We  followed  the  routed  army  through  Mount  Jackson, 
where  were  large  hospitals,  occupied  by  wounded  confed 
erates,  and  attended  by  confederate  surgeons ;  then  pressed 
on  to  New  Market,  keeping  up  a  running  fight  with  the 
rear-guard  of  the  rebel  army. 

On  the  25th  we  reached  Harrisonburgh,  a  village  more 
than  sixty  miles  above  Winchester. 

Our  march  had  been  a  grand  triumphal  pursuit  of  a 
routed  enemy.  Never  had  we  marched  with  such  light 
hearts ;  and,  though  each  day  had  found  us  pursuing 
rapidly  from  dawn  till  dark,  the  men  seemed  to  endure 
the  fatigue  with  wonderful  patience.  Our  column,  as  it 
swept  up  the  valley,  was  a  spectacle  of  rare  beauty. 
Never  had  we,  in  all  our  campaigns,  seen  anything  to 
compare  with  the  appearance  of  this  victorious  little  army. 
The  smooth,  wide  turnpike  was  occupied  by  the  artillery, 
ambulances  and  baggage  wagons  moving  in  double  file. 
The  infantry  marched  in  several  parallel  columns  on  either 
side  of  the  pike,  and  a  line  of  cavalry,  followed  by  a  skir 
mish  line  of  infantry,  led  the  way.  Cavalry,  too,  hung  on 


*  The  prisoners  taken  thus  far,  at  Winchester  and  Fisher  Hill,  including  the 
wounded,  numbered  more  than  seven  thousand.  The  absurdity  and  falsity  of 
Early's  statement,  that  his  effective  force  at  Winchester  amounted  to  only  eight 
thousand  five  hundred  men,  is  readily  seen.  The  rebel  surgeons  at  Mount  Jackson, 
and  the  citizens,  while  claiming  that  we  outnumbered  Early's  forces,  acknowledged 
that  he  retreated  from  Winchester  with  more  than  twenty  thousand  men. 

52 


410  HARKISONBUEGH. 

either  flank,  and  scouted  the  country.  It  was  intensely 
exciting  to  watch  the  steady  progress  of  the  advancing 
skirmishers.  Now,  as  they  reached  the  base  of  some  slop 
ing  eminence,  the  rebel  skirmishers  would  confront  them ; 
then,  as  they  advanced,  never  halting  nor  slackening  their 
pace,  the  confederates  would  surrender  the  ground,  to 
appear  in  our  front  on  the  next  commanding  ground.  So 
we  marched  up  the  valley — a  grand  excursion — skirmish 
ing  only  enough  to  maintain  a  constant  state  of  pleasant 
excitement. 

At  Harrisonburgh  we  remained  until  the  29th,  then 
inarched  farther  up  the  valley  to  Mount  Crawford,  while 
the  cavalry  penetrated  as  far  as  Staunton.  The  rebel 
army  was  broken  up  and  demoralized,  yet  considerable 
force  was  in  the  vicinity  of  Lynchburgh,  and  Early 
devoted  himself  to  reorganizing  it. 

Guerrilla  warfare  was  a  favorite  resort  of  the  rebels  in 
the  Shenandoah  Valley,  and  many  of  our  men  were  mur 
dered  in  cold  blood  by  the  cowardly  villains  who  lurked 
about  our  camps  by  day  as  harmless  farmers,  and  mur 
dered  our  men  at  night  dressed  in  confederate  uniform. 
Among  those  who  lost  their  lives  by  this  cowardly  species 
of  warfare,  were  Surgeon  Ochenslayer,  Medical  Inspector  of 
our  army ;  Colonel  Tolles,  Chief  Quartermaster,  and  Cap 
tain  Meigs,  son  of  the  Quartermaster-General,  U.  S.  A. 

We  fell  back  from  Mount  Crawford  to  Harrisonburgh, 
burning  barns,  mills  and  granaries,  driving  before  us  cat 
tle  and  sheep,  and  bringing  white  and  black  refugees 
without  number.  From  Harrisonburgh  we  again  fell 
back,  retracing  our  steps  through  New  Market,  Mount 
Jackson  and  Woodstock,  and  encamped  on  the  evening  of 
the  8th  of  October  on  the  north  bank  of  Cedar  creek. 
Each  day  as  we  marched,  dark  columns  of  smoke  rose 
from  numberless  conflagrations  in  our  rear  and  on  either 
flank,  where  the  cavalry  was  at  work  carrying  out  the 


DESOLATION    OF   THE   VALLEY.  411 

edict  of  destruction  of  the  valley.  A  certain  number 
of  mills  with  the  grain  contained,  a  specified  number  of 
wheat-stacks  and  granaries,  and  cattle  and  sheep  sufficient 
for  the  wants  of  the  people  of  the  valley  were  saved ;  all 
other  mills,  barns,  stacks  and  granaries  were  burned, 
and  all  other  cattle  and  sheep  driven  away.  Seventy 
mills,  with  the  flour  and  grain,  and  over  two  thousand 
barns  filled  with  wheat,  hay  and  farming  implements 
were  thus  committed  to  the  flames,  and  seven  thousand 
cattle  and  sheep  were  either  driven  off  or  killed  and  issued 
to  the  men.  This  destruction,  cruel  as  it  seemed,  was 
fully  justified  as  a  matter  of  military  necessity.  For  so 
long  as  a  rebel  army  could  subsist  in  the  valley,  so  long 
a  large  force  must  remain  to  guard  the  frontier  of 
Maryland. 

Hundreds  of  refugees  accompanied  us  from  Staunton, 
Mount  Crawford  and  Harrisonburgh :  Unionists  who  had 
endured  persecution  until  it  was  no  longer  endurable,  and 
who  now  left  houses  and  farms  to  find  relief  in  the  north 
from  their  sufferings  for  loyalty ;  and  negroes  who  sought 
freedom  from  their  ancient  bondage. 

Among  the  latter  class  was  a  group  which  had  followed 
the  cavalry  from  Staunton,  and  which  now  took  a  place  in 
our  Sixth  corps  hospital  train,  which  attracted  universal 
attention.  The  party  rode  in  one  of  the  huge  Virginia 
wagons,  so  familiar  to  those  who  have  spent  much  time 
in  those  parts,  and  consisted  of  an  aged  colored  woman, 
probably  more  than  ninety  years  old,  one  or  two  younger 
women,  a  black  man  of  fifty,  who  was  a  cripple,  a  boy  of 
twelve  or  fifteen  years,  and  a  very  large  number  of  small 
children,  varying  in  hue  from  jet  black  to  dark  brunette. 
The  load  was  drawn  by  four  broken  down,  spavined 
animals,  the  crippled  man  riding  one  of  the  horses  of  the 
rear  span,  the  boy  one  of  the  leaders.  The  soldiers  mani 
fested  great  interest  in  this  curious  load  of  refugees,  and 


412  AT   FKONT   KOYAL. 

freely  divided  with  them  their  hard  tack  and  coffee.  The 
writer  of  these  pages,  reining  his  horse  to  the  side  of  the 
vehicle,  addressed  the  aged  negress,  "  Well,  aunty,  are  all 
those  your  children  ?  "  "  Lor,  no  massa,  dey's  only  eigh 
teen  ob  'em."  Doubtless  she  designed  to  say  that  there 
were  only  eighteen  of  the  children,  not  that  "  only 
eighteen "  were  her  own. 

As  our  army  neared  Fisher  Hill  the  cavalry  of  the 
enemy  became  annoying  to  our  rear-guard.  General  Sher 
idan  said  to  General  Torbert,  that  the  annoyance  must  be 
stopped  at  once.  Accordingly  Ouster  and  his  horsemen 
lay  in  wait  for  the  rebel  cavalry,  attacked  them,  drove 
them  away  beyond  Mount  Jackson,  and  took  eleven  pieces 
of  artillery  and  three  hundred  prisoners  from  them.  They 
gave  us  no  more  trouble  at  that  time. 

Monday,  October  10th,  the  Sixth  corps,  leaving  the 
Eighth  and  Nineteenth  guarding  the  line  of  Cedar  creek, 
turned  toward  the  left  and  proceeded  to  Front  Royal. 
The  Seventy-seventh  was  made  provost  guard  of  the  town, 
and  the  brigades  were  stationed  along  the  mountain  passes. 
Here,  in  the  enjoyment  of  lovely  weather,  pleasant  asso 
ciations,  a  bountiful  supply  of  lamb  and  honey,  and  untold 
quantities  of  grapes  of  delicious  flavor,  the  corps  remained 
several  days,  and  the  men  even  flattered  themselves  that  in 
the  enjoyment  of  these  luxuries  they  were  to  pass  the  winter. 
But,  as  usual  with  bright  anticipations,  these  were  sud 
denly  dispelled  by  the  order  to  march,  on  the  morning  of 
the  13th,  toward  Ashby's  Gap. 

From  the  direction  of  our  march  it  was  evident  that 
we  were  on  the  road  to  Washington,  and  rumor  had  it 
that  we  were  to  be  shipped  at  once  for  Petersburgh.  We 
reached  the  bank  of  the  Shenandoah,  where  we  expected 
to  cross  to  the  gap ;  the  corps  was  massed  by  the  river 
side,  and  the  men  looked  dismally  into  the  cold,  dark 
waters,  and  shivered  at  the  thought  of  wading  through 


RETURN  TO  CEDAR  CREEK.  413 

the  stream  whose  waters  would  reach  nearly  to  their 
necks.  But  while  we  waited  to  get  ready  for  crossing,  a 
courier  came  to  General  Wright  with  a  message  from 
Sheridan  to  return  to  his  army  in  haste.  We  heard  that 
Longstreet's  corps  had  reinforced  Early,  and  that  an 
attack  had  been  made,  but  with  no  important  result.  We 
turned  about,  encamped  for  the  night  among  the  hills, 
started  again  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  joined 
the  army  again  on  Cedar  creek,  in  the  afternoon  of  the 
14th,  where  we  remained  in  the  enjovment  of  undisturbed 
quiet  for  several  days. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

BATTLE  OF  CEDAR  CREEK. 

Position  of  the  Union  forces  on  Cedar  creek  —  Demonstrations  by  Earl y  —  The 
morning  of  October  19th  — Eighth  corps  straggling— Nineteenth  corps  routed  — 
The  Sixth  corps  to  the  rescue— Death  of  General  Bidwell  —  The  Sixth  corps  holds 
the  enemy  —  General  Wright  prepares  for  another  attack  —  Arrival  of  Sheridan  — 
The  charge— The  rout  —  Guns,  wagons  and  prisoners  —  The  victors  in  camp. 

OUR  army  was  thus  resting  in  apparent  security  along 
the  banks  of  Cedar  creek.  The  men  were  amusing  them 
selves  in  visiting  the  numerous  caverns  in  the  vicinity, 
strolling  among  the  pleasant  groves  or  wandering  by  the 
shady  borders  of  the  stream.  Sheridan  had  left  the  army 
and  returned  to  Washington  for  a  day  or  two,  to  make 
arrangements  for  his  future  movements,  and  General 
Wright  had  temporary  command  of  the  army. 

Our  infantry  force  was  arranged  from  left  to  right  along 
the  creek,  first,  on  the  left  of  the  turnpike,  General  Crook's 
"  Army  of  Virginia,"  or  as  it  was  more  generally  known,  the 
Eighth  corps,  holding  the  left  flank,  facing  eastward  and 
southward ;  then,  the  Nineteenth  corps,  holding  the  pike 
and  facing  toward  the  south,  its  line  occupying  high  bluffs 
which  overhung  the  creek.  On  the  right  of  the  Nine 
teenth  corps,  and  almost  at  right  angles  with  it,  was 
the  Sixth  corps,  its  line  extending  far  toward  the  north. 
The  corps  faced  the  stream,  looking  directly  west.  The 
divisions  of  the  corps  were  posted,  on  the  right  the  Second, 
in  the  center  the  First,  and  on  the  left  the  Third  division. 

On  the  flanks  of  the  infantry,  cavalry  was  posted; 
Custer  on  the  right  of  the  Sixth  corps,  and  AverilPs  divi 
sion,  now  under  Colonel  Powell,  on  the  left  of  the  infantry 


DEMONSTRATIONS.  415 

line,  near  Front  Royal.  Our  line  thus  extended  from 
North  Mountain,  on  the  right,  almost  to  Front  Royal,  on 
the  left,  following  nearly  the  course  of  Cedar  creek,  and 
that  part  of  the  north  branch  of  the  Shenandoah  which 
crosses  the  valley  at  right  angles. 

The  enemy  had  been  trying  our  line  at  various  points, 
during  the  last  two  or  three  days,  and  in  one  instance  had 
captured  or  dispersed  a  small  squad  of  cavalry  on  the 
right,  and  captured  some  signaling  instruments.  These 
demonstrations  were  little  heeded;  our  line  had  been 
posted  by  General  Sheridan,  and  these  slight  attacks 
seemed  of  little  account.  In  Early's  army,  however,  they 
were  considered  of  more  weighty  import.  That  army  had 
recently  been  reinforced  by  Longstreet's  corps  of  sixteen 
thousand  men,  and  the  immediate  defeat,  and,  if  possible, 
destruction,  of  Sheridan's  army  was  regarded,  by  both 
General  Lee  and  the  authorities  at  Richmond,  as  absolutely 
necessary  to  the  safety  of  Lee's  army.  Hence  every  prep 
aration  had  been  made  for  a  most  determined  attack,  and 
these  lighter  demonstrations  had  been  made  to  ascertain 
the  exact  position  of  our  troops. 

When,  at  two  o'clock,  on  the  morning  of  the  nineteenth 
of  October,  we  heard  rapid  firing  where  Custer,  with  his 
horsemen,  held  the  right,  and  on  the  left,  where  Averill's 
cavalry  was  posted,  we  turned  over  in  our  blankets  and 
said,  "  The  cavalry  is  having  a  brush,"  and  went  to  sleep 
again.  And  then,  at  a  later  hour,  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  when  we  of  the  Sixth  corps  heard  brisk  picket 
firing  in  front  of  the  Eighth  and  Nineteenth  corps,  we 
were  scarcely  aroused  from  our  slumbers,  for  we  thought 
it  to  be  a  mere  picket  skirmish,  in  which  none  but  those 
directly  engaged  had  any  particular  interest.  But  when 
the  firing  became  general  along  the  whole  line  of  these 
two  corps,  and  we  saw  hundreds  of  men  going  with 
hasty  steps  and  lengthy  strides  to  the  rear,  we  were  at 


416  REMARKABLE    WALKING. 

length  aroused  to  the  truth  that  a  battle  was  really  in 
progress. 

From  a  Sixth  corps  point  of  view,  the  scene  was  at  first 
extremely  ludicrous,  we  did  not  know  and  could  not  have 
believed  at  that  time  that  the  flank  of  our  army  was 
turned,  and  that  the  enemy  was  actually  in  pos 
session  of  the  camps  of  one  whole  corps;  and  when 
we  saw  stragglers  filling  the  fields,  taking  rapid  strides 
toward  the  rear,  scarce  any  two  of  them  going 
together,  some  without  hats,  others  destitute  of  coats  or 
boots,  a  few  with  guns,  many  wearing  the  shoulder  straps 
of  officers,  all  bent  on  getting  a  good  way  to  the  rear, 
never  stopping  to  answer  a  question  or  explain  what  was 
going  on  at  the  front,  the  spectacle  was  to  us  of  the  Sixth 
corps  one  of  infinite  amusement.  None  of  these  hundreds 
and  thousands  of  stragglers  were  so  undignified  as  to  run, 
but  such  walking  was  never  seen  before.  None  of  them 
deigned  to  look  to  the  right  or  left,  they  were  bent  only 
upon  getting  as  far  on  the  road  to  Winchester  as  possible. 

At  length  the  truth  flashed  upon  us.  More  than  half  of 
our  army  was  already  beaten  and  routed,  while  the 
remainder  had  been  in  ignorance  of  the  fact  that  anything 
serious  was  transpiring.  Now  the  rebels  were  pouring 
down  toward  the  Winchester  and  Strasburgh  turnpike, 
sending  a  perfect  shower  of  bullets  whistling  about  the 
vicinity  of  the  head-quarters  of  the  army,  into  the  Sixth 
corps  hospital  camp  and  into  the  trains,  which  were  by  this 
time  joining  in  the  stampede. 

Staff  officers  now  came  riding  furiously  through  the 
camps  of  the  Sixth  corps,  with  orders  to  fall  in  at  once, 
and  proceed  at  double-quick  to  the  left. 

We  may  now  turn  back  and  trace  the  cause  of  this 
unexpected  state  of  affairs.  Early  had,  without  doubt, 
assured  himself  of  the  exact  position  of  our  army  through 
information  conveyed  by  spies,  who  were  able  to  compre- 


THE    EIGHTH    CORPS    SURPRISED.  4 1*7 

hend  the  whole  situation.  He  then  prepared  for  a  bold 
and  sudden  movement,  which  should  take  by  surprise  one 
flank  of  our  army.  Kershaw's  rebel  division  advanced 
along  the  sides  of  the  mountains,  and,  at  midnight,  crossed 
the  north  branch  of  the  Shenandoah,  still  observing  the 
most  complete  silence.  Even  the  canteens  of  the  soldiers 
had  been  left  behind  lest  the  sound  of  them  should  betray 
the  movement. 

The  whole  division  over,  it  was  massed  on  the  left  of 
General  Crook's  command.  A  dense  fog  enveloped  the 
whole  surrounding  country,  and  so  thick  was  it  that  no 
man  could  see  an  object  a  few  feet  from  him.  Under  the 
cover  of  this  fog,  the  rebels  succeeded  in  quietly  capturing 
a  large  part  of  the  picket  force  and  nothing  now  inter 
posed  between  the  rebels  and  General  Crook's  camps. 
Toward  these  they  hastened,  and  so  complete  was  the 
surprise,  that  the  men  of  the  Eighth  corps  were,  for 
the  most  part,  quietly  sleeping  in  their  tents.  The  few 
who  had  got  into  the  breastworks  were  subjected  to  a 
fierce  fire  in  the  flank,  and  were  soon  forced  to  abandon 
the  line.  The  rebels  seized  the  Union  batteries  along  that 
part  of  the  line,  and  turned  them  upon  the  camps  of  the 
Nineteenth  corps,  and  at  the  same  time  a  rebel  line  of 
battle  advanced  against  that  corps  from  the  front.  The 
confusion  became  every  moment  greater.  Daylight  was 
just  merging  from  night,  the  thick  mists  hung  like  an 
impenetrable  veil  over  the  field,  and  the  men  of  the  Nine 
teenth  corps  were  unable  to  tell  whence  came  all  this 
storm  of  missiles ;  but,  trailing  their  guns  in  the  direction 
from  which  the  shells  seemed  to  come,  the  gunners  worked 
their  pieces  at  random.  A  general  stampede  was  com 
menced.  The  men  of  the  Eighth  corps  were  mostly 
fugitives ;  and  those  who  strove  to  keep  in  line  were  forced 
back.  Both  the  fugitives  and  the  disordered  line  of 
battle,  were  rushing  through  the  camps  of  the  Nineteenth 
53 


418  THE    SIXTH    COEPS   TO   THE    RESCUE. 

corps.  The  officers  of  that  corps  were,  with  shouts  and 
wild  gesticulations,  striving  to  collect  their  disordered 
commands,  but  with  little  success.  Riderless  horses  were 
galloping  here  and  there,  cows,  with  which  the  army  was 
well  supplied,  were  bellowing,  mules  were  braying,  bullets 
whistling  and  shells  howling.  The  Eighth  corps  having 
left  the  way  clear,  the  rebels  came  down  upon  the  Nine 
teenth,  which  gave  way  and  was  doubled  upon  the  Sixth 
corps,  but  although  thrown  into  confusion  it  was  not  in 
the  panic  with  which  the  Eighth  corps  yielded  the  ground. 

It  was  at  this  critical  moment  that  the  warning  was 
given  to  the  Sixth  corps.  General  Wright  being  in  com 
mand  of  the  army,  the  corps  was  in  charge  of  General 
Ricketts.  He  at  once  faced  the  corps  to  the  rear,  and 
moved  it  over  the  plain  in  face  of  the  advancing  hosts  of 
the  enemy.  General  Ricketts  was  wounded  very  early 
in  the  engagement  of  the  corps,  and  the  command  fell 
upon  General  Getty. 

The  Second  division  held  the  left  of  the  new  line,  the 
First  the  center,  and  the  Third  the  right.  Bidwell's 
brigade  was  the  left  brigade  of  the  Second  division,  the 
Vermonters  held  the  center,  and  Warner's  First  brigade 
the  right.  The  Second  division  was  posted  in  the  edge 
of  an  open  oak  grove.  General  Grant,  of  the  Vermont 
brigade,  was  in  charge. 

We  now  awaited  the  onset  of  the  victorious  columns, 
which  were  driving  the  shattered  and  disorganized  frag 
ments  of  the  Eighth  and  Nineteenth  corps,  beaten  and 
discouraged,  wildly  through  our  well  formed  ranks  to  the 
rear. 

The  hope  of  the  nation  now  rested  with  those  heroes  of 
many  bloody  fields.  Now  that  peerless  band  of  veterans, 
the  wearers  of  the  Greek  cross,  whose  fame  was  already 
among  the  choicest  treasures  of  American  history,  was  to 
show  to  the  country  and  the  world,  an  exhibition  of  valor 


EEBELS   REPULSED.  419 

which  should  tower  above  all  the  grand  achievements  of 
the  war. 

The  corps,  numbering  less  than  twelve  thousand  men, 
now  confronted  Early's  whole  army  of  more  than  thirty 
thousand  men,  who,  flushed  with  victory,  already  bringing 
to  bear  against  us  the  twenty-one  guns  which  they  had 
just  captured  from  the  two  broken  corps,  rushed  upon  our 
lines  with  those  wild,  exultant  yells,  the  terror  of  which 
can  never  be  conceived  by  those  who  have  not  heard  them 
on  the  field. 

With  fearless  impetuosity  the  rebel  army  moved  up  the 
gentle  rise  of  ground  in  front  of  the  Sixth  corps,  and 
the  attack,  from  one  end  of  the  line  to  the  other,  was 
simultaneous.  It  was  like  the  clash  of  steel  to  steel. 
The  astonished  columns  were  checked.  They  had  found 
an  immovable  obstacle  to  their  march  of  victory. 

The  Second  division,  on  the  left,  nearest  the  pike,  had 
received  the  most  severe  shock  of  the  attack,  while  Bid- 
well's  brigade,  which  held  the  extreme  left,  and  the  key  to 
the  pike,  had  sustained  the  attack  of  the  whole  of  Ker- 
shaw's  rebel  division,  which  came  up  in  compact  order  to 
within  very  close  range.  The  gallant  brigade  received 
the  onset  with  full  volleys,  which  caused  the  right  of  the 
rebel  line  to  stagger  back,  and  the  whole  line  was,  almost 
at  the  same  moment,  repulsed  by  the  corps.  The  cavalry 
on  our  flank — and  never  braver  men  than  the  cavalry  of 
our  little  army  mounted  saddles  —  were  doing  their 
best  to  protect  the  pike  leading  to  Winchester,  and  it  was 
the  great  aim  of  both  the  cavalry  and  the  single  organ 
ized  corps  of  infantry  to  hold  this  pike ;  for  on  this 
depended  the  safety  of  the  whole  army,  and  more,  of  our 
cause. 

The  rebels  checked,  General  Bidwell  ordered  his  brigade 
to  charge.  Rising  from  their  places  in  the  little  grave 
yard  and  the  grove,  the  brigade  rushed  forward,  the 


420  OUR   LOST   HEROES. 

rebels  breaking  and  running  in  confusion  down  the 
declivity  which  they  had  but  just  ascended  with  such 
confidence,  and  across  the  little  stream.  But  the  rebel 
artillery  sent  our  men  back  to  their  places,  to  the  shelter 
of  the  roll  of  ground.  The  charge  cost  us  dearly.  Major 
Brower,  of  the  One  hundred  and  twenty-second  New  York, 
lost  his  life.  Captain  Lennon,  of  the  Seventy-seventh, 
was  mortally  wounded,  Lieutenant  Tabor  was  killed. 
Captain  Taylor,  commanding  the  Sixty-first  Pennsylvania, 
was  also  killed,  and  many  other  valuable  lives  were  lost, 
but  the  most  severe  blow  to  the  brigade  and  the  corps, 
was  the  loss  of  our  gallant  General  Bidwell.  He  fell, 
while  bravely  directing  the  charge,  with  a  frightful  shell 
wound.  He  was  at  once  borne  to  an  ambulance.  The 
general  sent  one  of  his  staff  for  the  writer  of  these  pages. 
When  he  reached  the  general's  ambulance,  the  wounded 
man  said :  "  Doctor,  I  suppose  there  ^s  no  hope  of  recov 
ery."  When  told  that  there  was  none  he  exclaimed,  "  Oh, 
my  poor  wife !  "  Then  after  a  moment  he  said,  "  Doctor, 
see  that  my  record  is  right  at  home.  Tell  them  I  died  at 
my  post  doing  my  duty."  A  few  hours  of  intense  suffer 
ing  and  the  brave  man  was  relieved  by  death. 

The  fall  of  General  Bidwell  left  Colonel  French,  of  the 
Seventy-seventh,  in  command  of  the  brigade.  The  line 
was  quickly  reformed  in  the  position  from  which  the 
charge  was  made,  and  again  the  rebels  came  on  with 
cheers  and  yells.  They  were  as  bravely  met  as  before, 
and  a  second  counter-charge  sent  them  again  in  disorder 
across  the  creek,  leaving  the  ground  covered  with  their 
dead  and  wounded.  The  greatest  shock  of  the  second 
charge  of  the  rebels  had  fallen  upon  our  Third  brigade, 
and  nobly  had  it  been  met.  A  third  time  Early's  forces 
came  on ;  this  time  with  less  spirit.  His  men  now  knew 
the  troops  they  had  to  contend  with.  They  had  been 
informed  that  the  Sixth  corps  had  been  sent  to  Washing- 


THE    SIXTH    CORPS   NOT   BEATEX.  421 

ton,  on  its  way  to  Petersburg!!.  Now  they  discovered 
the  mistake,  and  all  of  Early's  authority  was  insufficient 
to  bring  them  up  to  a  spirited  charge.  We  had  repulsed 
them  three  times  with  terrible  damage  to  their  ranks,  as 
well  as  sad  loss  to  our  own.  But  now  we  looked  toward 
the  right,  and  we  saw  rebels  passing  around  our  flank, 
and  the  Third  and  First  divisions  falling  back.  "We  were 
but  twelve  thousand.  They  were  thirty  thousand,  and 
their  line  far  overlapped  ours.  When  Early  could  not 
drive  us  he  went  round  us.  And  now  it  was  necessary 
to  take  another  position,  which  should  protect  the  road  to 
Winchester,  and  General  Wright  directed  General  Getty 
to  fall  back,  with  his  corps,  to  a  more  commanding  posi 
tion,  unless  he  saw  good  reason  for  desiring  to  hold  his 
present  position.  So  the  order  was  given  to  take  the  new 
position. 

The  Sixth  corps  was  not  driven  back.  It  had  thrice 
repulsed  the  most  desperate  charges  of  the  whole  rebel 
army,  and  now  that  the  rebels  were  turning  our  flank,  it 
was  necessary  to  interpose  an  organized  force,  and 
there  was  no  organized  troops  except  the  cavalry. 

Certain  erudite  historians,  who  have  sent  broadcast  over 
our  land,  compilations  of  newspaper  paragraphs  under  the 
sounding  titles  of  historians  of  the  rebellion,  powerful  gen 
tlemen,  who,  from  their  comfortable  quarters  in  northern 
homes,  watched  our  battles  from  afar,  quiet  citizens  whose 
sensibilities  were  never  shocked  by  the  sight  of  a  battle-field, 
and  whose  nerves  can  hardly  withstand  the  shock  of  fire 
crackers  on  the  morning  of  a  Fourth  of  July,  have  gravely 
informed  their  readers  that  our  whole  army,  including  the 
Sixth  corps,  was  driven  pellmell  six  miles  to  the  rear ;  and 
one  of  these  grave  historians  very  quietly  assures  those 
who  have  leisure  to  peruse  his  queer  accumulations  of 
absurdities,  that  we  were  driven  all  the  way  to  Winches 
ter,  a  distance  of  more  than  twenty  miles.  For  the 


422  SHEKIDAN   ON   THE   FIELD. 

comfort  and  encouragement  of  these  historians,  so  prolific 
of  martial  literature,  and  so  barren  of  any  ideas  of  military 
movements,  it  is  conceded  that  their  accounts  of  this  bat 
tle  are  quite  as  correct  as  any  which  they  are  accustomed 
to  give  to  the  public. 

We  took  position  just  north  of  Middletown,  which  was 
about  two  miles  in  the  rear  of  the  position  held  by  the 
Second  division  of  our  corps  early  in  the  morning.  We 
went  back  quietly  and  in  good  order,  a  single  regiment, 
the  Second  Vermont,  holding  without  difficulty  the  position 
we  abandoned.  We  carried  with  us  all  our  wounded,  all 
our  shelter  tents  and  all  our  personal  property  of  every 
description,  and  the  rebels  did  not  dare  to  attack  us. 
When  we  had  taken  our  new  position  in  the  same  order 
that  we  had  formed  in  the  morning,  the  Second  division 
on  the  left,  the  First  in  the  center,  and  the  Third  on  the 
right,  other  troops  also  took  position  in  the  line.  The  cav 
alry,  which  had  never  for  a  moment  faltered,  took  position, 
Custer  on  the  right,  Merritt  on  the  left  and  the  Nineteenth 
corps,  which  had  now  succeeded  in  restoring  order  to  its 
broken  ranks,  was  massed  on  the  right  and  rear  of  the 
Sixth. 

With  this  new  line  of  battle  in  the  strong  position  we 
now  held,  General  Wright  determined  that  not  only 
should  the  retreat  stop  here,  but  that  the  rebels  should  be 
driven  back  across  Cedar  creek.  Their  career  of  victory 
was  ended.  The  grand  old  Sixth  corps,  directed  by  our 
own  loved  General  Getty,  had  turned  the  fortunes  of  the 
day.  It  was  now  ten  o'clock ;  far  away  in  the  rear  was 
heard  cheer  after  cheer.  What  was  the  cause?  Were 
reinforcements  coming  ?  Yes,  Phil.  Sheridan  was  coming, 
and  he  was  a  host.  He  had  ridden  from  Winchester  at 
amazing  speed,  and  now,  as  he  passed  the  long  trains  of 
ambulances  in  which  were  the  hundreds  of  bleeding  vic 
tims  of  the  morning's  work,  the  wounded  men  whose 


"WE'LL  WHIP  THEM  YET."  423 

shattered  limbs  or  mangled  bodies  attested  that  they  had 
not  run  away,  raised  themselves  and  cheered  with  wild 
enthusiasm  the  hero  of  the  valley.  On  he  rode ;  most  of 
his  staff  left  far  to  the  rear,  his  famous  war-horse  covered 
with  foam  and  dirt,  cheered  at  every  step  by  hundreds  of 
men  in  whom  new  courage  was  now  kindled.  Dashing 
along  the  pike,  he  came  upon  the  line  of  battle.  "  What 
troops  are  those  ?  "  shouted  Sheridan.  "  The  Sixth  corps," 
was  the  response  from  a  hundred  voices.  "  We  are  all 
right,"  said  Sheridan,  as  he  swung  his  old  hat  and  dashed 
along  the  line  toward  the  right.  "  Never  mind,  boys, 
we'll  whip  them  yet ;  we'll  whip  them  yet !  We  shall 
sleep  in  our  old  quarters  to-night ! "  were  the  encouraging 
words  of  the  chief  as  he  rode  along,  while  the  men  threw 
their  hats  high  in  air,  leaped  and  danced  and  cheered  in 
wildest  joy. 

Sheridan  at  once  completed  the  arrangements  already 
commenced  and  nearly  finished  by  General  Wright.  The 
men  of  the  Sixth  corps  meanwhile  busied  themselves  in 
cooking  their  morning  meal. 

None  but  soldiers  can  realize  the  contending  emotions 
we  experienced  as  we  waited  for  the  development  of  the 
new  arrangements.  We  had,  with  the  pride  which  none 
but  soldiers  can  feel,  regained  for  northern  troops  the 
prestige  for  brilliant  achievements  and  open  field  fighting 
in  this  valley,  so  often,  in  times  past,  the  scene  of  humilia 
tion  to  our  arms.  Were  we  now,  notwithstanding  all  our 
brilliant  successes  and  our  proud  consciousness  of  superi 
ority,  to  see  our  prestige  fade  in  an  hour  ?  Sheridan  said, 
"  No ; "  and  we  trusted  him.  Had  Sheridan  never  reached 
the  field,  General  Wright  would  have  led  us  against  the 
foe,  whose  ardor  was  already  lost  after  the  repeated 
repulses  from  the  single  corps.  But  there  was  a  charm 
about  the  real  commander  of  the  army,  and  his  opportune 
arrival  inspired  fresh  hope  and  zeal  in  the  breasts  of  alL 


424  THE   ADVANCE   AT   MIDDLETOWN. 

Even  a  considerable  portion  of  the  Eighth  corps  was  col 
lected  and  placed  on  the  left  of  the  Sixth,  and  then,  with 
cavalry  on  either  flank,  Ouster  on  the  right  and  Merritt  on 
the  left,  we  were  ready  to  assume  the  offensive. 

Thus,  all  things  being  arranged,  we  were  prepared  to 
test  the  question  whether  our  army  was  to  fall  back 
to  Winchester  beaten  and  humiliated  or  return  to  our 
old  camps. 

At  one  o'clock,  the  rebels  advanced  against  the  right  of 
our  line,  but  were  repulsed.  A  brisk  fire  of  artillery  was 
for  a  time  kept  lip,  but  even  this  died  away  and  nothing 
but  the  scattering  fire  of  skirmishers  was  heard. 

Early  had,  without  doubt,  now  relinquished  the  idea  of 
any  further  offensive  operations,  and  he  as  little  thought 
that  any  were  designed  on  our  part.  The  rebels  quietly 
proceed  to  bring  their  baggage  wagons  and  ambulances 
across  the  river,  and  they  set  themselves  about  fitting  up 
our  camps  for  their  own  use. 

At  three  o'clock,  Sheridan  gave  the  order  to  move; 
wheeling  from  right  to  left,  as  a  gate  swings  upon  its 
hinges.  The  Third  division  on  the  right  of  our  corps 
became  for  a  moment  embarrassed  in  passing  through  a 
strip  of  woods,  the  First  division  moved  slowly  but  firmly, 
gaining  a  strong  position.  The  Second  division  also 
advanced,  but  it  was  ordered  to  go  very  slowly,  and  this 
was  far  more  difficult  than  to  rush  quickly  over  the 
ground.  Yet  the  division  obeyed  the  order  and  forced 
the  rebels  to  fall  back.  In  front  of  the  First  and  Second 
brigades  was  a  stone  wall.  This  they  seized  and  were  at 
once  partially  sheltered ;  but  there  was  no  such  protection 
for  the  Third  brigade.  In  its  front  was  a  meadow  and  a 
gradually  inclined  plane,  and  behind  a  wall  which  skirted 
the  crest,  was  the  rebel  line.  Between  that  line  and  ours, 
in  a  hollow,  stood  a  brick  mill,  from  the  windows  of  which 
the  enemy's  sharpshooters  picked  off  our  men.  The  gall- 


EAKLY'S  AEMY  ROUTED.  425 

ing  fire  from  the  line  of  battle,  and  the  fatal  shots  of  the 
sharpshooters  in  the  mill,  made  it  impossible  to  advance 
slowly,  and  the  line  fell  back.  Our  best  men  were  falling 
fast.  The  color-sergeant  of  the  Seventy-seventh  fell  dead ; 
another  sergeant  seized  the  flag  and  fell.  Adjutant  Gil 
bert  Thomas,  a  youth  of  rare  beauty  and  surpassing 
bravery,  seized  the  fallen  flag ;  he  cried,  "  forward,  men !" 
and  fell  dead  with  the  staff  grasped  in  his  hand. 

"  I  cannot  take  my  brigade  over  that  field,  slowly,"  said 
Colonel  French;  "then  go  quickly,"  responded  General 
Getty.  The  word  was  given,  and  with  a  bound  and  a 
shout  the  noble  brigade  went  across  the  field,  quickly 
driving  the  confederates  from  their  strong  position. 

By  this  time  the  right  of  the  army  had  started  the 
rebels,  and  their  whole  line  was  giving  way.  The  three 
divisions  of  the  Sixth  corps  bounded  forward,  and  com 
menced  the  wildest  race  that  had  ever  been  witnessed 
even  in  that  valley  so  famous  for  the  flight  of  beaten 
armies.  The  rebel  lines  were  completely  broken,  and  now 
in  utmost  confusion,  every  man  was  going  in  greatest 
haste  toward  Cedar  creek.  Our  men,  with  wild  enthu 
siasm,  with  shouts  and  cheers,  regardless  of  order  or 
formation,  joined  in  the  hot  pursuit.  There  was  our  mor 
tal  enemy,  who  had  but  a  few  hours  since  driven  us 
unceremoniously  from  our  camps,  now  beaten,  routed, 
broken,  bent  on  nothing  but  the  most  rapid  flight.  We 
had  not  forgotten  our  humiliation  of  the  morning,  and 
the  thought  of  it  gave  fleetness  to  the  feet  of  our  pur 
suers. 

From  the  point  where  we  broke  the  rebel  ranks  to  the 
crossing  of  Cedar  creek,  wTas  three  miles,  an  open  plain. 
Over  this  plain  and  down  the  pike  the  panic-stricken 
army  was  flying,  while  our  soldiers,  without  ever  stopping 
to  load  their  pieces,  were  charging  tardy  batteries  with 
empty  muskets,  seizing  prisoners  by  scores  and  hundreds, 
54 


426  THE    CAVALEY   IN   PURSUIT. 

every  Union  soldier  his  own  commander,  bent  on  nothing 
but  the  destruction  of  the  flying  foe.  As  we  reached 
Cedar  creek,  the  pursuit  was  given  over  to  the  cavalry. 
The  gallant  Ouster,  now  in  his  wild  joy,  could  be  heard 
shouting  to  his  impetuous  men,  "  Charge  them  !  Charge 
them !"  and  then  we  could  hear  words,  hard  to  print,  but 
which  added  startling  emphasis  to  the  commands. 

Crossing  the  river,  he  came  upon  the  pike,  crowded 
with  men  and  cannon,  caissons  and  ambulances,  wagons 
and  pack  animals.  With  one  mighty  sweep,  forty-five 
pieces  of  artillery,  many  wagons  and  ambulances,  and 
hundreds  of  prisoners,  were  taken.  Merritt,  too,  captured 
seven  guns,  many  battle-flags,  and  prisoners  without  num 
ber.  Indeed,  the  prisoners  could  not  be  numbered,  for 
there  were  not  enough  of  the  cavalry  to  guard  them,  and 
as  soon  as  they  had  thrown  down  their  arms  they  were 
passed  to  the  rear,  and  in  the  darkness  hundreds  of  them 
escaped  to  the  mountains.  Through  the  darkness  the 
cavalry  kept  up  the  pursuit  until  Mount  Jackson  was 
passed. 

The  infantry  returned  to  the  camps,  and  as  we  took  our 
old  places,  cheers  made  the  welkin  ring;  and  then  as  we 
heard  constantly  of  new  trophies,  the  wild  huzzahs  rang 
from  one  end  of  our  army  to  the  other.  Such  wild  joy 
has  rarely  been  felt  by  an  army.  What  cared  the  men  of 
the  Nineteenth  corps  that  they  were  forced  to  lie  upon  the 
ground  without  tents  or  blankets  ?  Our  army  was  victo 
rious  and  our  honor  saved. 

The  moon  shining  brightly  over  the  battle-field  revealed 
the  camps  of  the  living  side  by  side  with  the  resting  places 
of  the  dead.  All  the  way  from  Middletown  to  Cedar 
creek  the  debris  of  battle  was  scattered  over  the  fields. 
Here  and  there  were  seen  the  remains  of  our  comrades  of 
the  morning,  their  lifeless  bodies  stripped  by  vandal  rebels 
of  almost  every  garment.  They  lay  like  specters  in  the 


GEAVES  IN  THE  CAMPS.  427 

pale  moonlight;  here,  still  in  death,  under  a  cluster  of 
bushes,  was  stretched  a  group ;  there,  by  the  side  of  a 
wall,  a  row  of  inanimate  bodies  marked  a  spot  where 
brave  men  had  fallen  at  their  posts ;  in  the  ravine  where  the 
little  creek  wound  its  way,  and  beneath  the  boughs  of 
the  chestnut  trees  of  the  grove,  many  slept  their  last 
sleep.  Among  our  camps,  the  spades  of  the  pioneers 
were  heard  as  they  hollowed  out  the  shallow  graves; 
and  as  we  threw  ourselves  upon  the  ground  to  rest,  we 
mourned  for  our  comrades,  and  we  rejoiced  for  our 
victory. 

Sad,  sad  it  was  to  think  of  the  noble  ones  who  had  left 
us.  Never  again  were  we  to  see  the  form  of  the  great 
hearted  Bidwell  at  the  head  of  his  brigade.  We 
remembered  his  heroic  bravery  in  all  the  terrible  fights  of 
those  bloody  days,  from  the  Rapidan  to  Petersburgh  ;  we 
thought  of  him  when,  at  Winchester  and  Fisher  Hill,  he 
directed  the  movements  of  his  brigade  with  such  consum 
mate  coolness  and  skill ;  we  remembered  his  cordial  smile 
and  friendly  words,  and  then  we  thought  of  his  heroism  in 
the  morning,  and  our  hearts  were  heavy  to  think  that  he 
was  gone. 

Adjutant  Thomas,  too,  had  left  us  ;  our  noble,  beautiful 
boy.  Could  he  have  died  a  grander  death  had  he  been 
spared  longer?  Could  his  last  words  have  been  better 
chosen  had  he  expired  in  the  embrace  of  loved  ones  at 
home  ?  "  Forward,  men ;  forward !  "  Were  they  not 
grand  dying  words?  Rest,  brother;  thy  death  was  as 
grand  as  thy  life  was  lovely. 

Lennon's  bright  eye  must  soon  close  forever.  We 
should  never  again  hear  his  hearty  laugh  or  listen  to  his 
sparkling  wit.  He  had  fallen  as  a  hero  falls,  and  his  life 
had  been  the  life  of  a  hero  and  patriot.  Belding  and 
Tabor,  too,  brave  captains  of  brave  men,  each  had  fallen 
in  advance  of  his  friends. 


428  REST   AFTER   THE    BATTLE. 

Major  Brower  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-second, 
Captain  Taylor,  commanding  the  Sixty-first  Pensylvania, 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Kohler  of  the  Ninety-eighth  Pennsyl 
vania  and  Major  Borman  of  the  Fifteenth  New  Jersey,  all 
brave  and  competent  officers,  were  lost  to  our  corps  ;  while 
among  the  wounded  were  General  Ricketts,  Colonel  Pen- 
rose,  commander  of  the  New  Jersey  brigade,  Colonel 
D wight  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-second,  Captain 
Orr  of  Bidwell's  staff,  and  Lieutenant  Mitchell  of  the 
Seventh  Maine. 

Our  army  remained  along  Cedar  creek  for  several  days, 
the  cavalry  only  scouting  up  the  valley  in  search  of  rem 
nants  of  Early's  shattered  army.  Then,  we  fell  back  to 
the  vicinity  of  Winchester,  where  our  men  built  comforta 
ble  quarters,  and  here  we  remained  until  General  Grant 
called  us  back  to  Petersburgh.  Many  of  the  regiments  in 
the  meantime  were  mustered  out  of  the  service  as  regi 
ments,  the  recruits  and  reenlisted  men  remaining  as 
battalions  with  the  name  of  the  original  regiments,  except 
the  substitution  of  the  battalion  for  the  regiment.  Among 
other  regiments  whose  time  expired  was  the  one  whose 
early  career  formed  the  subject  of  the  first  chapters  of  this 
narrative,  and  whose  honorable  and  indeed  brilliant  course 
we  have  never  lost  sight  of.  The  returning  veterans  left 
camp  on  the  19th  of  November,  leaving  two  hundred  and 
fifty  men  still  to  represent  the  organization.  We  will  not 
pause  to  speak  of  the  parting  of  those  so  long  companions 
in  arms,  of  the  trip  homeward  or  of  the  brilliant  reception 
and  magnificent  entertainment  extended  by  the  patriotic 
citizens  of  Saratoga  to  the  veterans  of  a  hundred  battles. 
These  were  fitting  testimonials  of  appreciation  of  the  ser 
vice  of  patriot  soldiers. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

THE  FINAL   CAMPAIGN. 

Sixth  corps  returns  to  Petersburgh  — Condition  of  the  corps  — Sheridan  joins  the 
grand  army— Capture  of  Fort  Steadman  — The  last  grand  charge— The  pursuit 
of  Lee's  army— Tributes  to  the  Sixth  corps— Disbanding. 

ON  the  9th  of  December,  the  Sixth  corps  was  recalled 
to  Petersburgh.  We  need  not  describe  the  journey  to 
Washington,  nor  the  steamboat  ride  to  City  Point ;  the 
scenes  along  this  route  have  already  been  described. 

We  took  our  position  on  the  Weldon  railroad,  erected 
more  comfortable  huts  than  we  had  ever  built  before,  our 
sick  were  placed  in  hospitals  fitted  up  with  great  taste, 
and  everything  which  the  government  or  our  friends  at 
home,  through  the  agencies  of  Sanitary  and  Christian 
Commissions,  could  do  for  their  comfort  was  gladly  done. 

During  our  absence  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  the  army 
under  General  Grant  had  been  making  steady  progress 
in  the  siege  of  Petersburgh,  and  our  war-worn  brothers 
of  the  other  corps  showed  upon  their  faces  the  marks  of 
overwork.  We  were  in  fresh  vigor.  We  had  marched 
through  a  blooming  valley  literally  abounding  in  milk  and 
honey.  The  fruits  of  the  vine,  the  orchard  and  the  fold 
had  been  ours,  and  our  camps  had  been  in  green  fields 
and  pleasant  groves,  we  had  inarched  over  wide  roads,  and 
through  rolling  meadows,  and  we  had  fought  in  the 
open  field.  We  returned  to  our  old  comrades,  proud  of 
our  own  achievements,  and  of  the  praise  we  had  won  from 
the  nation.  We  could  point  to  the  valley,  and  to  the 
memory  of  Early's  army,  now  no  more ;  and  we  proudly 


430  SHERIDAN   JOINS   THE    GRAND   ARMY. 

claimed  that  it  had  been  ours  to  rid  the  country  of  one  of 
the  most  troublesome  of  the  rebel  columns. 

Now  that  we  were  again  in  the  trenches,  we  felt  a  con 
fidence  in  our  own  valor  which  made  our  corps  eminently 
fitted  for  the  last  grand  duty,  the  crowning  act  in  the 
glorious  history  of  this  superb  corps,  the  breaking  asunder 
of  Lee's  lines  at  Petersburgh,  and  as  the  result,  the  over 
throw  of  the  rebellion. 

Grant's  army  had,  during  our  absence,  extended  the  line 
much  farther  to  the  west  and  south.  When  we  left  for 
Washington,  our  line  extended  only  a  little  beyond  the 
Jerusalem  plank  road.  Now,  it  crossed  the  Weldon  rail 
road,  and  reached  Hatcher's  Run,  nearly  eight  miles  from 
the  position  occupied  by  us  when  we  left  the  lines.  The 
military  railroad,  too,  had  been  constructed,  and  now  all 
supplies  were  brought  from  City  Point  to  the  rear  of  our 
camps  by  rail  cars. 

The  famous  mine  had  exploded,  and  with  it  the  project 
of  taking  Petersburg!!  by  surprise.  Events  of  importance 
had  transpired  on  the  north  of  the  James,  and  the  Dutch 
Gap  canal  was  in  progress.  Yet,  Lee's  army  held  us  at 
arm's  length,  and  Petersburgh  was  still  to  be  taken. 

In  the  latter  part  of  February,  our  friend,  Sheridan,  was 
ordered  to  leave  the  valley  with  his  superb  body  of  horse 
men,  and  cross  the  country  through  Lynchburgh,  destroy 
Lee's  communications  with  the  west,  pass  through  Dan 
ville  and  join  Sherman  in  his  grand  march  to  the  sea. 
But  the  James  river,  swollen  by  heavy  rains,  forbade  a 
crossing,  and  Sheridan,  nowise  disconcerted,  turned  the 
heads  of  his  horses  toward  the  White  House,  and  after 
many  adventures,  having  wrought  much  mischief  in  the 
rear  of  the  rebel  army,  he  joined  Grant's  army  before 
Petersburgh,  on  the  26th  of  March.  The  result  was  bet 
ter  than  though  he  had  been  able  to  accomplish  the 
original  design. 


POET   STEADMAN.  431 

N"ow?  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  one  again.  The 
Sixth  corps,  and  Sheridan  with  his  cavalry,  were  important 
elements  in  that  grand  army;  and  now,  as  the  glorious 
spring-time  was  drying  the  depths  of  the  mud,  and  opening 
the  way  for  a  fresh  campaign,  we  were  in  most  superb 
condition  to  administer  the  last  blows  to  the  already  tot 
tering  fabric  of  the  rebellion. 

We  need  not  dwell  long  upon  the  particulars  of  this 
final  campaign. 

Lee  took  the  initiative.  Knowing  that  it  would  be 
impossible  to  hold  his  present  line  much  longer,  he 
determined  to  retreat  to  Danville ;  but  wishing  to  cover 
his  retreat  by  a  bold  movement  in  front,  he  sent  a 
strong  column  to  attack  Fort  Steadman,  a  point  toward 
the  right  of  the  line  where  the  two  opposing  lines  were 
very  close.  The  fort  was  guarded  by  troops  of  the 
Ninth  corps.  The  attack  Avas  made  very  early  on 
the  morning  of  the  25th  of  March,  and  resulted  in  the 
complete  surprise  and  capture  of  the  fort  and  of  many  of 
the  men  of  the  Ninth  corps.  It  was  a  short-lived  tri 
umph;  the  work  taken  was  commanded  by  the  guns  of 
other  forts  on  either  flank,  and  the  enfilading  guns  with 
strong  bodies  of  infantry  soon  compelled  a  retreat  of  the 
enemy. 

Meanwhile  the  opportunity  had  not  been  lost  by  Gen 
eral  Meade  for  advancing  his  line  on  the  left.  The  Sixth 
corps  was  to  do  the  work.  The  Third  brigade,  Second 
division  was  sent  forward  to  take  and  hold  the  rebel 
picket  line  near  the  Squirrel  Level  road,  for  the  double 
purpose  of  withdrawing-  the  attention  of  the  enemy,  and 
of  advancing  our  line  for  future  operations.  The  brigade 
gallantly  executed  the  order,  and,  notwithstanding  the 
rebels  brought  nine  pieces  of  artillery  to  bear  upon  it,  and 
sent  reinforcements  to  the  point,  the  ground  was  held. 
Colonel  Dwight  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-second 


432  THE  LAST  GRAND  CHAEGE. 

was  killed;  Captain  Oakley  and  Lieutenant  Pierce  lost 
their  lives,  and  many  others  of  the  brigade  were  killed  or 
wounded. 

The  29th  of  March  was  the  day  fixed  for  the  opening 
of  the  grand  final  campaign.  The  Twenty-fourth  corps 
relieved  the  Second  and  Fifth  corps  from  the  intrenchments 
in  front  of  Petersburgh,  and  these  two  corps  were  loose 
to  join  Sheridan  in  an  expedition  on  our  left  with  the  view 
of  turning  the  enemy's  right  flank. 

Leaving  camp  early  on  the  morning  of  the  29th,  the 
two  corps  and  the  cavalry  proceeded  to  the  southwest, 
crossed  Hatcher's  Run,  and  marched  toward  Dinwiddie 
Court  House,  the  infantry  reaching  the  Quaker  road, 
the  cavalry  continuing  the  march  to  Dinwiddie.  We  had 
now  an  unbroken  line  from  the  Appomattox  to  Dinwiddie 
Court  House.  The  corps  were  posted  from  right  to 
left,  as  follows :  Ninth,  Sixth,  Twenty-fourth,  Second, 
Fifth,  and  on  the  left  of  all,  Sheridan  with  the  cavalry. 

On  the  morning  of  the  30th,  the  infantry  and  cavalry 
on  the  left  were  ready  for  the  grand  blow  upon  the  flank 
and  rear  of  the  enemy,  but  a  heavy  rain  storm  set  in, 
rendering  the  roads  impracticable,  and  except  some  man- 
neuvering  to  get  nearer  the  enemy's  position,  no 
movements  were  made.  On  the  following  day,  the 
rebels  made  a  fierce  onset  upon  the  corps  of  Warren,  but 
failed  to  dislodge  him.  April  1st,  Sheridan,  with  infantry 
and  cavalry,  engaged  the  rebels  at  a  place  called  Five 
Forks,  a  position  of  vital  importance  to  the  enemy. 

While  Sheridan  was  thus  dealing  heavy  blows  upon 
the  flank,  we  in  front  were  preparing  for  a  general 
advance. 

The  position  occupied  by  the  Sixth  corps  formed  a  sali 
ent,  the  angle  approaching  very  near  the  rebel  line. 
Here,  in  front  of  Fort  Welch  and  Fort  Fisher,  the  corps 
was  massed  in  columns  of  brigades  in  echelon,  forming  a 


THE    FINAL   CHARGE. 


4.33 


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KT  CLT        LINE, 


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5  VT. 


49N.Y.  77 NY. 


CHARGE 

OF     THE     SIXTH     CORPS, 

WHICH  BROKE  THE  REBEL  LINES, 
April  2,  1865. 


434  THE    PURSUIT    OF   LEE's    ARMY. 

mighty  wedge,  which  should  rive  the  frame-work  of  the 
confederacy. 

The  corps  was  formed  in  the  rear  of  the  picket  line; 
the  Third  brigade,  Second  division,  being  the  point  of  the 
wedge.  On  the  right  of  that  brigade  was  the  First  brigade 
of  the  same  division,  and  on  the  left,  the  Vermont  brigade. 
The  First  division  of  three  brigades  was  in  echelon  by 
brigades  on  the  right  of  the  Second,  and  the  Third  of 
two  large  brigades  also  in  echelon.  Each  brigade  was 
in  column  of  battalions.  Axemen  were  ready  to  be  sent 
forward  to  remove  abattis,  and  Captain  Adams  had 
twenty  cannoneers  ready  to  man  captured  guns.  Every 
commanding  officer  of  battalions  was  informed  what  he 
was  expected  to  do,  and  thus  all  was  in  readiness. 

At  half-past  four  in  the  morning  of  April  2d,  the  signal 
gun  from  Fort  Fisher  sounded  the  advance.  Without 
wavering,  through  the  darkness,  the  wedge  which  was  to 
split  the  confederacy  was  driven  home. 

The  abattis  was  past,  the  breastworks  mounted,  the 
works  were  our  own.  Thousands  of  prisoners,  many 
stands  of  colors  and  many  guns  were  our  trophies,  while 
many  of  our  friends,  dead  or  wounded,  was  the  price  of 
our  glory.  The  rebel  line  was  broken,  and  now  the  troops 
of  Ord,  and  those  of  the  Ninth  corps  pressed  on  after  us. 
Humphries,  too,  of  the  Second  corps,  hearing  of  our  splen 
did  success,  stormed  the  works  in  his  front  away  -on  the 
left  and  carried  them.  The  confederate  army  gathered 
close  around  Petersburgh,  but  we  followed  closely.  We 
will  not  stop  to  tell  all  the  splendid  achievements  of  that 
glorious  day. 

That  night  our  corps  rested  on  the  Appomattox,  just 
above  Petersburgh,  and  General  Grant,  of  the  Vermont 
brigade,  had  his  head-quarters  in  the  house  which  General 
Lee  had  occupied  all  winter,  and  had  left  only  a  few  hours 
before.  During  the  night  Lee  made  his  escape  with  his 


TRIBUTES    TO    THE    SIXTH    CORPS.  435 

army.  He  had  already  sent  word  to  Richmond  that  he 
was  to  retreat,  and  the  fatal  message  reached  Davis  while 
in  church. 

We  all  joined  in  the  pursuit  next  morning.  The  Second 
and  Sixth  corps  hastening  to  the  help  of  Sheridan,  who 
was  following  hard  after  the  flying  army.  We  confronted 
Lee  at  Jetersville,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  6th  we 
moved  up  to  attack,  but  there  was  no  army  to  attack. 
Why  need  we  tell  of  the  forced  march  that  followed ;  of 
the  gallant  fight  at  Sailor's  creek,  where  we  whipped  Lee's 
army ;  of  the  wild  joy  of  the  surrender  ?  These  are  all  too 
well  known  to  repeat,  and  the  details  would  be  tiresome. 

The  grand  old  Sixth  corps,  the  pride  of  the  army  and 
the  delight  of  the  nation,  had  crowned  all  its  former 
record  of  glory  by  breaking  the  famous  "  backbone "  of 
the  rebellion,  and  all  that  follows  is  tame. 

General  Grant  did  us  the  credit  to  say,  "  General 
Wright  penetrated  the  lines  with  his  whole  corps,  sweep 
ing  everything  before  him,  and  to  his  left,  toward 
Hatcher's  run,  capturing  many  guns  and  several  thousand 
prisoners." 

General  Meade,  too,  says :  "  Major-General  Wright 
attacked  at  four  A.  M.,  carrying  everything  before  him, 
taking  possession  of  the  enemy's  strong  line  of  works, 
and  capturing  many  guns  and  prisoners.  After  carrying 
the  enemy's  lines  in  his  front,  and  reaching  the  Boydtown 
plank  road,  Major-General  Wright  turned  to  his  left  and 
swept  down  the  enemy's  line  of  intrenchments  till  near 
Hatcher's  run,  where,  meeting  the  head  of  the  Twenty- 
fourth  corps,  General  Wright  retraced  his  steps  and 
advanced  on  the  Boydtown  plank  road  toward  Peters- 
burgh,  encountering  the  enemy  in  an  inner  line  of  works 
immediately  around  the  city." 

The  march  and  halt  at  Danville,  the  rapid  journey 
through  Fredericksburgh  to  Alexandria,  the  separate 


436  DISBANDING. 

review  of  the  corps  under  the  scorching  rays  of  one  of 
the  hottest  days  ever  known  even  in  Washington,  when 
hundreds  of  our  men  fell  down  from  sunstroke  and 
exhaustion,  the  return  to  camp  and  the  disbanding,  finish 
the  story  of  the  grandest  corps  that  ever  faced  a  foe. 


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